The Tides of Time
by WinterKnight2104
Summary: For months, Mathias kept having the same dream about this mysterious young woman. She was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. He couldn't remember her face. But he remembered her ice cold cerulean eyes with a hint of sadness in them. Who she was, he had no idea; a word, they hadn't spoken to each other. But little did he know she would soon become a great part of his future.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I entered my small bedroom and slammed the door shut harshly. It was only a quarter to seven in the evening and I was having a massive headache. I groaned and flopped down on my bed, exhausted. It had been a rough day for me, taking care of my brother's twins, Ida and Danny. Those two kids were two demons and troublemakers. They were lucky that they had those puppy-dog eyes or else I would have taught them a lesson for messing up around my house! It took me almost an hour to clean up those messes they made in the rest of the afternoon. I shouldn't have taken them to the movies earlier. They watched some Disney film called 'Frozen'. Apparently it was about someone with ice powers? I don't know. I slept the way throughout the movie. When they came back to my flat, they 'tried to make it snow' in my living room. And I absolutely _do not_ want to talk about how they did it! It was quite a relief to me when their mother picked them up at six.

Glancing at my desk to see a pile of rough drafts and blank papers, I sighed heavily and shifted my eyes toward the ceiling. I had just lost my job and hadn't been able to find another one; I was running out of money. I couldn't find any effort to write anything at the moment. The colourful world I had been living in turned dark and sombre in a matter of seconds.

I lazily pushed myself off the bed. My eyes lay on the old large-sized mirror across the room. I stared at my reflection – a thirty-two-year-old man with messy raven hair, tanned skin and amber eyes. I could see a faint sight of purple bags beneath my eyes and small wrinkles on my forehead. I was getting old.

I smirked sarcastically. I couldn't believe the fact that people like me – if there _were_ people like me – could survive in this world until this day. Hell, if they knew about my secret maybe they would have me killed this instance. I was lucky that my family had done and would do everything in their power to keep me safe.

But what could they possibly do to me?

A guy who could wield fire in this society, sure, they wouldn't do anything more serious than killing you!

I lay back down in bed and rested my foream above my head, the other hand placed on my stomach. My mind started thinking about the movie I watched with the twins this afternoon. I didn't pay much attention, but I did remember a young woman with power of ice and snow. If only there was someone else like me, if only I could meet them…

I tried to go to sleep but tossed and turned in bed. Finally, I decided to go and take a walk, although it was a chilling night of November and I could hear the wind swirling outside the window of my room.

The snow was falling lightly outside, blanketing the town in a thin layer of glittering white. It was a little cold out there. I pulled my hood on and tucked my hands into my jacket pockets, strolling slowly on the empty street. The night was cold – freezing, to be exact. But the cold didn't bother me anyway, because the clothes I had fashioned by my powers was enough to keep me warm. Having the power of fire had its own benefits. Fire meant warmth, heat, life, light, passion and love; that was what my mother told me. But still, in my mind, it meant destruction. I knew that it was impossible, but I still hoped that there was someone out there, who had powers like me.

The street was empty, which made me feel more lonesome. The house I was living in was isolated from the neighbourhood. Since my old cat Mike died, I was all alone in that house and I didn't think I could bear it any longer.

I looked at the falling snowflakes and smiled at some of my childhood memories, when my brother and I used to have great adventures in the forests near our parents' house in the countryside. I suddenly missed those times. But Edgar had a new family to take care of, we had all grown up and I had to start a life of my own, too. Mama and Papa still remained in their countryside but encouraged us to move to the town. Edgar and I still visited them occasionally.

"Mathias," a voice called out for me. I spun around and smiled at the person rushing toward me.

"Nice to see you here, Emma," I replied. Emma grinned back and stood for a while, catching up her breath. She brushed a few strands of chocolate blocks from her sweating face. Emma was my closest neighbour. She was only a twelve-year-old girl. We were best friends. I sometimes took her to school or pick her up when her father was busy. Emma was a good girl. She rarely went out late at night and I knew her father would never permit her to do that. Seeing her at that moment surprised me. "What are you doing out here at this late hour?" I asked her.

"I was out to buy some dinner and medicine for Dad. He's sick and I can't figure out how to use the cooker," she explained. Now I noticed she was carrying a small nylon bag in her left hand. "It's dark and I don't think I can recognise the way home. Can you walk with me back?" she looked at me with pleading little hazel eyes, blinking to make herself look cuter. I chuckled at the little girl and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her close to my side.

"Of course," I replied. "Let's walk you back home and check on your dad. Maybe I can do a little help and make dinner for you two." Emma's eyes lit up in joy and she squealed lightly, squeezing my hand as a thank you and smiled up at me. I smiled back to her and led her back home. Emma had been like a little sister to me. She was the only one beside my family knew about my curse. She called it magic and rejected the idea of it being a curse. Emma tried to keep me as much company as possible but she was getting busier with her schoolwork. I appreciated her concern toward me.

"Aren't you bored living here all alone?" Emma had asked me once, a few weeks after Mike's death.

"Well, to be truthful, it's quite boring to live here by myself," I shrugged.

"You know, my dad has an advice for you. He said that you should find yourself a girl," she said.

"I've already found you," I replied.

"But I can't be with you all day. I have to go to school in the day and do my homework at night. I can hardly come here with you now. Mike is gone and you're gonna be very lonely here," she bit her lip. "You know, you're already thirty-two, and you're still single. You're a good handsome young man, everyone says that, and many girls are attracted by your looking. People say that you need to marry someone."

"Emma, I'm fine on my own," I protested.

"It's not my suggestion that you should find yourself a wife, Mathias. It's what people say. And nobody wants to be alone. You'll find your true love someday, marry her, have kids and live happily for ever after," she beamed.

"I haven't met any woman in my liking yet and you already made up a plan for the rest of my life?" I snorted, smirking, "Emma, you're thirteen and you still have those ideas in your mind?"

"I have every right to. And who fed me with those ideas?" she crossed her arms, playfully glaring at me.

"I did," I chuckled.

Smiling at the memory, I looked down at the little girl walking by my side, humming a rythmical tune, the curly blocks of her brown hair fluttered in the whispering cold wind of November. I couldn't help but smile at her. She was so adorable. Emma was thirteen, but she was as childish and naïve like a ten or eleven-year-old. That was what I love about her. She was always positive and honest.

A cold breeze brushed against our skins. Emma shivered lightly. I noticed her nose was redening because of the cold.

"Are you cold?" I asked concerningly. I would offeringly use my power right this instance if it meant Emma being warm.

"Nuh-uh," she shook her head, "The cold doesn't bother me much. I'm cool."

"You're cool, or you're cold?" I teased. Emma snorted and giggled, pursing her lips, which made her even cuter. I laughed and brought her a little closer to her, she snaked an arm around my waist, grasping my jacket with her hand and rested her head on my arm. Our conversation somehow ended up Emma rambling about the movie 'Frozen'. It seemed like many children liked that animated film. And Emma, she seemed obsessed about it. I think she didn't miss any detail when she told me about it.

We arrived at Emma's house within a few minutes. I helped her take care of her father and cook dinner. I knew Emma wouldn't be able to do it properly, she was always clumsy and lacked of cooking. I couldn't have her burning the kitchen to ash, could I?

As I returned to my home, I slammed the door shut harshly. I looked around me and found a cold fireplace and an empty living room. I felt so lonely. Perhaps Emma was right. It was about time I got married, wasn't it? Truthful to be, I did feel somehow so alone every night. I never thought I would need someone with me. I always thought that I would be fine by my own, so I wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. But the more insecure and alone I became, the harder I controlled the fire inside me.

I walked to my bedroom and sighed heavily, throwing myself into my bed, not bothering to change into my night clothes.

Honestly, I was jealous with my brother. Edgar had a lovely family with a wife he loved more than the world itself and the children he adored – his children. He had a fine job that would help him enough to raise his family and not keep him away from home too much. His happiness couldn't be more complete. Couldn't mine be like that?

No, I shouldn't think like that. Everyone would have their happiness, and I wasn't an exception, was I? It was only the matter of time it come to me.

All my surrounding was darkness. I had no company but a fly buzzing on the windowsill and it would soon fly away and leave me all by myself here. The room was warm enough, but I felt so cold and empty… in my heart.

"Alone once more," with that thought, I drifted to sleep.

I blinked a few times to clear my vision. I gasped as my eyes caught sight of where I was standing. Everything was covered in smoke and I barely saw anything. I scented something, something strange, but familiar. It was gunpowder. I heard chaos. I couldn't be in the middle of the war, could I?

No, I was in the middle of the battlefield. How could it possibly…

I was dreaming, of course.

It started to become a little clearer. I could see the battle going on. Soldiers were fighting. I heard the canons, the sound of the swords, and weapons… This war was ages ago. I was never one for history or battles, even when I was once a soldier and had been through war. Why was I having this dream?

Amongst the fire and smoke, between the thundering sounds of canons and in the fierce battle, I saw something – no, someone, a young woman, to be specific. She was wearing a red cape fluttering in the strong wind, a sword hung at her hip which ít hilt was shining in a sparkling light blue, white shirt, brown vest, black pants and leather boots. Her hair was let to fall down her shoulder, white as snow, flying and being messed up a little by the strong wind, wild but somehow still managed to keep the elegance. It covered most of her face. But I could see her eyes. They were as blue as the autumn sky, shining like the stars but cold as the winter ice and sharp as the knife. I stared at her and suddenly felt something new and strange growing inside me. I had never felt like that before. I heard my pulse quickening, feeling my cheeks warming up and legs suddenly weak. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I could have sworn I had never met her before, yet, I felt like I had known her my entire life, though she was a complete mysterious puzzled piece to me. She stood there, eyes locked with mine, beautiful like the aura. How could such a beauty appear in the middle of this place?

Who was she?

The young woman stared at me for a brief moment then quickly spun around, disappeared into the smoke, left me standing there like a statue, staring at nowhere, the thoughts of her lingering in my mind and even when she had already gone, the image of her was still playing in my mind, in front of my eyes.

Everything suddenly collapsed. I sank into the dark…

I woke up with a start to the sunlight streaming into my room through the small window. I slowly pushed myself upright with a small grunt. I blinked away my drowsiness and cracked my neck.

My mind went back to the dream. I remembered being in the middle of the war, the chaos, seeing a woman, but I couldn't remember how she looked like. Who was that mysterious woman?

Shaking my head, I told myself silently that it was only an absurd dream, that it meant nothing.

But did it really mean nothing?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I continued to have the same dream for months. Every single night was the same. She would stand at a distance far from me, so I wouldn't be able to reach out for her but still could see her eyes. Every time I tried to come to her, she vanished and I would wake up and couldn't be able to sleep the rest of the night. Every night, I wondered who she was, what she was doing there, and always got no answer. Every night, we would stare at each other, I with the curious, confused and loving eyes and her gaze was always the same – cold and frigid. But every night, I seemed to know her better, I admired her beauty even more. Every time I gazed into her eyes I saw every depths of her beautiful soul. And every time I looked into those eyes, I saw the mystery I could never discover, but also, I found company, and perhaps the truest, purest peace I'd ever had before in my entire life.

I realised that since I first had this dream, I never felt lonely again at night. And every time I thought of her, I couldn't help but curl my lips into a loving smile. I usually didn't remember her appearance every time I woke, but it was alright to me because I would see her at night. Truth to be told, I missed her during the day and was anxious to wait until night had fallen and drowsiness had taken over me, so I could see her, and her eyes, the crystal blue eyes I had come to adore.

I laughed at myself, falling in love with the woman didn't exist, whose name I didn't even know. But there was no guarantee that she was only created by my imagination, wasn't it? A word, we had never spoken to each other, but with a look only, I felt like we had shared so many things. Was it love? No, it couldn't be. Or could it?

Spring had found its way to this land. Edgar and I decided to go visit our parents, along with Irene and the children. It had been a while since our last visit. A massive blizzard swept through the town had prevented us from spending the Christmas holiday with them.

Mama and Papa were blissful to see us. Our mother, our old but still energetic mother, squealed as she caught sight of us walking along the small path leading to their house and ran up to hug us, kissing our cheeks and foreheads as if we were children. It was fine to Edgar; he laughed and kissed her back on her cheeks, but not to me. I always found myself blushing furiously every time she did that.

"Mom," I groaned.

"Oh, stop grumbling like your father, Mathias, you're thirty-two but you're still and forever will be my little boy," she snorted then grinned down at her grandchildren. "Look at you two! You're so tall. Last time I met you, you were only this tall. And Irene, you're gorgeous," she hugged Edgar's wife. Irene was only her daughter-in-law, but Mama loved her like her own daughter. I think if she hadn't fallen with Edgar instead, she would have married my mother! Of course they got along so well. They were the only women in the family.

"Hello, Mother," Irene hugged her back, smiling. "It's so good to see you."

"Well, well, if it isn't my lovely children and grandchildren?" a male voice chuckled.

"Grandpa," Ida and Danny exclaimed and ran up into their grandfather's lap. Papa was old and thin but he was still strong. He lifted the kids on both of his shoulders and pretended that they were two giant rocks.

"Oh," he said, "You're getting big. Good for you." The two children laughed excitedly. "Come now. I think there are some cookies and chocolate milk waiting for us in the kitchen. Let's see who's there first," he placed the twins down on the ground soundly. I could see their eyes shining with joy as they heard the words 'cookies' and 'chocolate' and they rushed to the house and grinned at the two. Papa chuckled and shook his head lightly, hands rested on his hips.

"Don't make my grandchildren fat, Artie," Mama warned.

"Oh, Dory, a few cookies and little hot chocolate won't do any harm," Papa protested. "Let them help themselves for a moment. Now, where are my boys and their girls?"

"Hey, pop," Edgar grinned broadly and enveloped Papa with a father-son-hug. When they broke the hug, I approached Papa and intended to give him a hug but he slapped my back harshly.

"Ouch, what was that for?" I shouted.

"Welcome home, son," Papa smirked.

"I have such a loving father," I said sarcastically. Edgar laughed and Irene was struggling not to burst out like her husband. I shot them a glare. _Oh, I have such a good family, indeed._ Mama smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You know your father, Mathias," she said softly.

"Oh, sure I do," I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, let's get you all inside," Mama said, patting my shoulder and walked back to their house with Papa. Edgar chuckled at me and placed an arm around my shoulder, winking. I glared at him.

"So, Mama's little boy, huh," he teased. I lit my left hand with my fire to threaten him but he laughed. "Oh, you don't want your secret to be revealed, do you, baby brother?" Edgar rubbed my hair then joined his wife inside, leaving me alone.

_Oh, sometimes I really hate you, brother. I really, _really_ do. _I thought with a growl and withdrew my magic, following them in. Honestly, I never liked chocolate. Looks like I was the odd one out of my family.

When I peered into the kitchen, I found the twins digging into a large plate of cookies and some hot chocolate on their upper lip. I shook my head slowly and headed toward the living room, where my parents, brother and sister-in-law were already seated, waiting for me. I flopped down on the seat next to Edgar.

"Where's Joseph, Mama?" I asked. Joseph was our butler and gardener. He was older than my father and was a coloured man. Joseph had been our close friend and the only person beside my family knew about my powers. He was like another father to me and Edgar. I frowned when I saw the sad expression on Mama and Papa's faces and started to wonder what had happened.

"Well, he started to get old and slow and weak. So his niece and nephews took him back to his home hamlet to take care of him. Honestly, the house got quieter and more boring without him," Mama said sadly. It was true. Joseph was a very funny man who always kept the house warm with his jokes. "We hired another one to replace Joseph. His name is Darren. He's at the back at the moment, I think. Don't worry; we'll introduce him to you all when he's finished his work. He's a niece man but a little quiet."

"I'm sure he'll get more talkative after a while living here," I joked. My family was never quiet. That was why our house was full of laughter and sounds, even without me and my brother.

"Oh, and we hired a worker to help your father on the farm," she proceeded. I turned my gaze to my father. He was getting older and weaker that he couldn't handle the work himself anymore. I wondered how much longer he had with us.

"So, Mathias, where is your girl?" Papa asked.

"You mean Emma? She caught a cold. Her father wouldn't allow her to go this time. Plus, I wouldn't drag her along in that condition," I shrugged. "And if she wasn't sick, she would probably hang out with her friends or deal with her homework at school."

"He's not asking about your thirteen-year-old neighbour, Mathias," Edgar rolled his eyes.

Damn it, I thought I could avoid this conversation!

"Oh, so… uh… what do you mean by that?" I stammered.

"Mathias!" Mama exclaimed. "Son, you're turning thirty-three soon. Youth doesn't last forever, son. It is high time you get married!"

"You know, I've noticed a glow in Mathias recently, a glow of the man has surrendered himself, heart and soul, to a woman," Edgar smirked, crossing his arms. "So tell me, Mathias, who is the unlucky lady?" My eyes grew wide and face turned pale. How the hell did he know? Oh, sometimes I wished my brother didn't know me so well.

"Edgar! Don't you dare say that to your brother!" his wife spat. Edgar simply chuckled.

"Relax, honey, I was just joking," he said. Irene snorted then turned to me, a bright smile crossed her lips.

"Sorry about that. So, according to Edgar, you have found yourself a woman. Is it true, Mathias? When are you planning to introduce this beautiful maiden to our family?" she asked.

"How do you know she's beautiful?" I managed to say, trying my best to hide the heat spreading across my cheeks. How was I going to explain that I fell in love with a none-existent woman I saw every night in my dream, whose name I had no clue, whom I had never spoken a word to? And could that be called love? I would prefer the word 'compassion'. I could never forget the hint of deep sadness in her cold eyes pierced into the core of me and I felt somehow sad for her. Even when I couldn't see all of her face, somehow I knew that she was a striking beauty, inside and out. I just kept wondering what made her look seem so frigid but full of sorrow. She seemed isolated and alone, just like me. We shared the same scars. But why would she shut me out? Why wouldn't she let me in? Every time I approached her, she turned away from me. What was she so afraid of? I knew it from her look that she craved for someone by her side and reassure her. But why did she run away? Why was she so scared to let me get closer to her?

"Well, our definitions of beauty are not the same, my dear brother," Irene replied, "But I can't imagine you being attracted by someone with an average look."

"So, who is the lassie you've got yourself into, my boy? You haven't mentioned her at all," Papa winked. "Tell me, Mathias, how did she manage to flirt with you?"

"Dad, there's no one flirting with me and I'm not flirting with anyone," I snapped.

"Your eyes speak the other way, son. You know you can tell us everything," Mama smiled. "Wait, does she love you back? Anyone says you're not worthy enough will have to speak to me! So who's the one that has stolen my boy's heart? And don't lie to me, Mathias. You know you can never lie to your Mama."

_Oh, boy. I think they got the upper hand in this. _I swallowed nervously. True, there was no way to lie to Mama or hide anything from her.

"You'll all think I'm crazy," I mumbled.

"Why would you be?" Edgar asked. "Come on. Let's not beat about the bush. Tell us already. Let's start with her name. How does she look like?"

_I hate you all._

"I don't know," I replied.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Irene asked.

_Oh, yes, sister of mine, I don't know her name, her appearance, her personality, her voice or _even if she existed!

"I don't know because I haven't found the one yet. You got it all wrong. Maybe it was because I got myself another job?" I shrugged. Welcome to my family. They were trying every way to marry me off. Edgar and Irene always dragged me with them to introduce me to someone every time they got a chance. And those demons of them even followed their parents' path. Oh how I love them and hate them in the same time!

"You got a new job already? Why didn't you tell me? I was worrying that I would have to get you one," Edgar punched my shoulder lightly. And thank to the Saints and God high above, I was saved. Our conversation turned into other subjects more pleasurable and a series of laughter. I sighed with relief. At least they wouldn't continue bugging me about my love life anymore.

I escaped from their talk and snuck into the kitchen to check on the twins and find them had fallen asleep and drooling on the table, already finished the cookies and their hot chocolate, mouth agape in the most adorable way. I chuckled lightly at their cuteness. I cleaned up the table and placed them into more comfortable positions, careful not to wake them up, though it wasn't very necessary because they were heavy sleepers. I exited the room and started wandering around the house. I hadn't taken a trip to explore the entire house since I was fifteen, a year before I joined the military. I had forgotten many details and corners in the house. Strolling along the halls made me relive a lot of my precious childhood memory with my brother and my family, and of course I remembered every place where I lost my control and every time of my outbursts. I once burnt down a part of the house. Luckily Mama and Papa didn't punish me for it. They only told me that it wasn't my fault, that to lose my control on such powerful thing was normal and there was nothing to worry about it, but I still felt so guilty.

"The greater the power, the harder to control it," Papa had said to me once. It was when I almost struck Edgar with my fire and ran away from my house. They had followed me and brought me home and Papa had said so to me. Since then, they tried their best to help me gain my full control. I was lucky to have them, and I couldn't imagine having a better family.

My parents owned a small farm. I grew up in the nature. Perhaps that was one of the reason that I got to embrace my powers easier and use it more skillfully.

I found myself making my way to the garden. I saw a middle-aged man working. He didn't seem familiar. He must be the new worker Mama was talking about. I studied his look. Bald, pepper hair and beard, tall, a little skinny but strong, from the look of how he worked, skin tanned, eyes as dark as the night sky. I stared at him for a while and jumped when he stared back at me. His eyes grew wide when they met mine. I could see his hands and legs trembling. He gasped and dropped his hoe. I frowned a little. Why was he so scared like a rabbit in front of the wolf's claws? Was it because of me? But what did I do to him that made him so frightened?

"Hello," I greeted. He stood frozen, his jaw dropped. I took a step closer to him but he backed up and ran away from me. Weird… Why was he reacting like that? I checked myself but found that none of my fire had escaped me, I didn't have anything particular on my face or clothes and there was no one or nothing scary behind me. I was confused.

Then I saw something sparkling in the sunlight. I walked closer to it. It was a silver medal with sophisticated designs carved into it. There was a sapphire in the center. I couldn't fathom why but the designs and the sapphire seemed familiar. There were even a few words carved into it. I couldn't understand it. It wasn't Latin or any language I knew. It seemed to be an ancient language.

I shrugged shallowly and put it into my pocket. _Well, I guess he just dropped it. I'll return it to him once I see him again._ I thought then walked back into the house and to join the others. I found the twins were playing with the one I assumed to be our new butler. He didn't seem to be as quiet as my parents described, or maybe he simply loved children. Mama and Irene were in the kitchen, talking women's things, which I didn't want to hear. I couldn't find Papa. I guessed that he went to check on things on the farm. I spotted Edgar standing at our porch, eyes staring into the distance, hands tucked into his pockets, so I decided to approach and have a talk to him as brothers, which we hadn't had in a while.

"Enjoying the view?" I asked him with a smirk.

"You're very sneaky, you know that?" he chuckled lightly. "So what brings you here, Mathias? I thought you must be wandering every corner of our land at the moment, not standing here, talking to this old guy."

"Well, let's just say that I miss my brother," I replied, grinning. "How is it going with Irene and the kids? Does it feel good… to have a family?"

"Oh, yes it is, you'll find every night of your life is a joyful and warm one, Mathias," Edgar paused for a few minutes. "Brother, I know you better than anyone. No one wants to be alone their whole life. If you're interested in any woman and she loves you back, marry her before she slips from your hand. Your power don't keep your bed warm at night or light your heart when life turns dark, Mathias. I know you're afraid of hurting someone you love with your power, but let me tell you this, dear brother. Love is the true power. It can conquer all, even fear.

"I have noticed that recently, you often daydream. Maybe it has not developed into a level that we can call 'love' yet. But at least you've come to like a woman. You can go ahead and hide her from Mom and Dad until you have her hand in marriage, but you need to tell me at least. I'm married, Mathias. I have experience in this. Maybe I can help you.

"Now tell me about this girl you like. What's her name? How does she look like? How does her voice sound? Tell me everything you know about her," he gently placed a hand on my shoulder.

Of all the people in this world of mine, Edgar was the only one I could really talk with. My parents couldn't be serious enough. And plus, he understood me most. I felt very comfortable sharing things with him. But I was quite hesitant to tell him this. What would he think? Even I thought I was insane and had totally lost my mind, having a crush on the woman I couldn't remember her face.

While my mind was convincing me not to tell him and keep my secret hidden, my heart was urging me to share it with him, my brother – the one I trusted most.

"Her eyes," I replied.

"What?"

"Her eyes," I repeated. "That is all I know about her," I turned my head to face him. He was a few inches taller than me so I had to fix my gaze up to look into his hazel eyes.

"I'm not sure I follow," he frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You'll think I'm insane," I shook my head, turning my eyes away from his, gazing into nowhere. "I've been having a dream about this woman in months, Edgar, the same dream every night. She would stand there, away from me, hair covering most of face. I don't remember what colour it is. I don't remember how she looks like. But somehow I can't forget her eyes. There was something about those blue eyes that made her look so cold and sad. Every time I reached for her, she would run away from me. There was always a large gap between us.

"I swear we have never spoken a word to each other and I've never met her before in the real life. But when I look into her eyes, I feel like I have known her my whole life. Somehow, deep inside, I know she is the most beautiful creature in the world, inside and out, that her beauty is beyond compare.

"Every time, I see her standing in the middle of a war, amongst the sounds of canons and swords and chaos. How can such a beauty like her appear in such a place like war? I can't figure out why I was having those dreams. I was never one for history. In fact, everything I know about history is a blank. I remember she was carrying a sword. Maybe she was a part of the war. But I remember the sword. Its hilt sparkled like a blue star upon the sky.

"I've wracked my brain for months, trying in vain to figure out what the dream means, why for a long time I keep having the same one and the woman I saw in the dream never answered me for once, never let me get an inch closer to her, and never gave me at least a warm look. All I get was cold stares and a door slammed shut at my face. She was a complete mystery to me. I don't even know if she was a ghost, if she existed or just a creation of my imagination. No, she must mean something. I know my imagination can never reach that far, to create such a beautiful image. She seems so familiar to me, so dear, but at the same time like a stranger and cold as ice. I tried every way. I called out for her, I reached out for her, begged her. But did she let me in? No. Instead, she turned away from me, quick and sound like a cold breeze. She just… disappeared."

"That's interesting," Edgar said quietly, staring at me with his eyes narrowed a bit. I raised an eyebrow. I had expected him to stare at me with shocked wide eyes and mouth agape, asking me if I was alright. But he seemed so calm.

"You don't think I'm crazy?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head. "The dream sounds weird and hard to be truth, I admit. Having the same dream in months, seeing the same woman every night, but wake up not remembering anything about her except her eyes? Brother, that does sound crazy, but it doesn't mean you're crazy."

"So you believe me?"

"Of course," he nodded.

"How do you know I was speaking the truth?" I asked.

"Your eyes speak it all, Mathias. And I know you too well. You're too honest to me that you never hide something from me. And I have a brother who can wield fire. How can I not believe in this?" We both laughed.

"But don't you think it's strange? You keep having it and it only every night for months. You keep seeing her every night, but wake up don't remember how she looks like. And you said you two were standing in the middle of the war with sounds of swords and cannon balls? That must be centuries ago. She must relate to something in history. You said she was carrying a sword? So she must be a soldier or something. Women joining battles in that period time of history is very rare, you know. The dream must mean something. Maybe it's a sign or something?"

I shrugged. Edgar sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Look, I'm confused myself," I said. "Maybe it means something. Maybe it's a sign for something about to happen, but it will happen when the time comes. Don't worry much. Or maybe it's an affection of my power. I lost control a few times since I had that dream."

Edgar opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by our mother's call for dinner. We had to stop the conversation there and head to the kitchen for dinner before Mama came and dragged us in like kids.

The question still played in both my and Edgar's mind.

What did the dream mean?

* * *

"So how was it?"

"How was what?" I asked, dropping my bag down next to the door to the living room.

"Your weekend with your parents, of course," Emma said merrily. I had just arrived to my house and found the girl waiting for me at my porch. Emma was sitting in my sofa, swinging her legs and grinning broadly, brown eyes glittering in joy. "I'm jealous with you, you know. You got to go out in the weekend. I was stuck in my house again for two days. I only got to hang out with my friends in Saturday evening. We watched the movie 'Frozen'."

"Haven't you watched it already?" I asked.

"Not at the cinema, I haven't," she shrugged. "Anyway, it's so great. I think I've already watched it over and over again about half a dozen times." I raised an eyebrow at her. She sure was seriously obsessed with this film. "Oh, don't give me that look, would you? You even read a book over and over again if you like it, you bookworm," she snorted. "By the way, you haven't answered my question yet. How was your time with your family?"

"Well, it was good to be with my family again. I had fun," I replied, smiling at the thoughts of my weekend with my family. We did have fun. I hadn't been so happy in a long time. It felt like forever since the last time Edgar and I got to be like this again. Oh how I missed the old time when we were still young and carefree, roaming the woods for days and were greeted with angry parents and punishments awaiting for sneaking off without permission. If only I could get back in time and return to those happy days of our childhood.

"I'm glad that you did. I was afraid that you didn't. You need some fun and especially to be with someone you love dearly some time, don't ya? You've been so stressed recently, with the new job and all. Well, that's all I want to hear. Have some rest, okay? You got another week ahead of ya. See you tomorrow and don't forget to take me to school," she said, bouncing toward the door and exited my house.

"I won't," I called out, chuckling. I wonder if she ever ran out of her energy. I closed the door and picked up my bag then made my way to my room. I threw my bag on the bed and turned to my wardrobe. I needed a shower to clean myself up.

It was late. I decided to retire for the night and made my way from my desk across the room to my bed. I suddenly stopped when I passed the mirror when my eyes caught glimpse of something particular. I looked at it. The mirror was an antique. The frame was made of solid wood and was carved with delicate designs. There was a sapphire on the top. It was glowing brightly. I frowned. Why the hell was it glowing?

I suddenly felt something heavy in my pocket. I dug my hand into it and pulled out. I gasped to see the silver medal in my hand. Why was it here? I swear I didn't bring it home. I didn't see the man – Marcus Wolff was his name – since the first time we met in the garden. Mama said he needed to go somewhere for a while so I gave the medal to her, told her to give it to him when he returned. But now, it was in my hand, and the sapphire on it was glowing, too. Now I noticed the designs on both the mirror and the medal were the exactly the same.

I looked up and jumped as I saw another reflection of someone behind me in the mirror. I whirled around and saw Marcus standing right in front of me, but dressed clothes looking as if they were royal guards' uniform in the late 18th century, teal coat with the crest of a crimson phoenix on an ice blue snowflake.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, clenching my hands into tight fists, flames ready to burst out of my skin as I commanded if he ever meant any harm to me. Marcus, however, refused to answer my question and spoke in a strange language to me. As he said, I noticed the words carved into the medal in my hand glowing.

"Arendelle," I heard the last word he had said. How did that sound familiar to me? Had I heard it somewhere?

"The fate of Arendelle lies in your hand. Restore peace to the kingdom and defeat the darkness that hides within it. Your time has come, Son of Fire. The prophecy must be fulfilled. You must hurry before it's too late," he said. I suddenly felt the wind pulling me from behind. I whirled around, eyes widening to see a large black hole appearing in the mirror, winds swirling around it. I braced myself from the force of the wind but it soon dragged me inside with it. I grabbed the frame of the mirror and tried to get myself out but it was hopeless. I was losing my grip. Looking up, I could see Marcus was fading.

"I have vowed to protect the royal family of Arendelle. I've failed them. I've failed the queen. It is time for me to make up my mistake. Long live Queen Elsa." With that, he vanished into the air like a ghost. I lost my grip and the wind took me inside.

I heard a voice calling for me from the outside.

And the last thing I knew was

Blackness…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I groaned and pushed myself off the ground on my feet. My body was extremely sore and my heard felt like someone was hammering from the inside. My vision was a little blurry. I blinked a few times and gasped in shock as I looked around. I was no longer home – or even in my town anymore. I was in the middle of the forest, in the night. It was a cold night and the wind was whispering through the wood, chilling me to the core of my bones. I wondered how long I had been out. I searched for my watch but I couldn't find it. Damn it, I left it home! Besides my clothes, I had nothing on me.

Suddenly, I heard a squeak behind me then something fell on my back, causing me to fall flat on my face.

"Oww," a familiar voice said between groans. "That was unexpected."

"Emma?" I asked. Emma rolled herself off me and onto her stomach. I pushed myself upright. She was still lying on her back on the ground, growling, her forehead resting on the grassy ground.

"Damn it, why am I so sore?" she cursed. "Is this some kind of affection of travelling through a magic portal?"

"Emma, what are you doing here?" I asked, holding a hand to help her up.

"I was coming to tell you that my dad is taking me to school tomorrow instead, since he's managed to rearrange his appoinment in the morning," she explained. "I called out for you but you didn't door was unlocked so I just got in. I saw your mirror glowing and some kind of… spirit fading in the middle of the room and you were being pulled into that… portal. And I saw this… this medal," she held out the silver medal, "and the wind captured me and dragged me in… So now I'm here with you… Where are we by the way?"

"I have no idea," I said standing up. Where ever we were, I was sure that we had gone a long way from home.

"Me neither," Emma said.

Looking around, I scanned the place again and I didn't recognise it. I knew that we were lost, and there was one trick that might be able to help but I hadn't used it for almost two decades. When we were still kids, Edgar and I used to roam the forest near our house when we got an afternoon to spare in the weekend. One day, we ventured deeper into the woods than we expected. In my nerves, I accidentally caused a wave of heat to wash over the forest and I caught a glimpse of what was lying before us. And in that moment, I realised that I was capable of more than I had estimated, and that 'curse' of mine had brought me and my brother home, though the consequence was bad, we got punished by our mother for returning home late – thirty minutes after dinner time. I hadn't used this ability for a long time. There was only one way to see whether I still remembered or not.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, sending a wave of heat to every direction around me.

"Mathias, what are you doing?" Emma asked, clinging onto me.

I ignored her and continued the process. There was one thing special about my powers that I could be able to see where it went. My power spread through every direction, I could feel the land with every sense of mine, could smell the fresh scent of the mountain air, hear the winds blowing in my ears miles away; I could see a valley full of rocks in the west, but there didn't seem to be any life; further toward the north was only ranges of mountains, and to the south I couldn't see nothing but woods yet; but to the east, I spotted a small village about two days or so away from where I was standing. It was our only choice.

I opened my eyes, withdrawing my powers.

"Well, for the moment, we rest," I told her. "We'll leave at dawn. Get some sleep."

"Wait, where are we going?" she asked.

"To the east," I shrugged. "There's a village or something like that there. I don't know, my vision was kind of blurry. There are people a few miles away to the east. So I guess we should go there and seek help. I'm sure they'll let us know where we are and which way is back to our home."

"How do you know there are people nearby?"

"Look, there are other things I can do with my powers more than just wielding fire and heat. Now stop asking and get some sleep. I think that tree over there is a good choice for you," I pointed to a tree. "And I'll make the fire, as always."

"Cool," Emma said merrily then bounced toward the tree. I rolled my eyes and chuckled at her. She was indeed very energetic. I picked some woods around there and gathered it into a place near Emma then lit the fire. The smoldering orange and red flame danced in the night, causing a grin to cross my lips. I always loved watching the fire smoldering. It looked so peaceful. It warmed my heart. I would sometimes spend the whole night just sitting there, watching the fire dance in my hand, transforming into different shapes, and let my mind wander to the lands of imagination or just peace. The heat had never bothered me anyway.

"Is this some kind of adventure?" Emma asked once she had settled down and curled into a ball, hands clutched to her side. That was Emma, always positive even in the darkest situation, very naïve, innocent and geniune.

"Yes," I smirked. "Now be a good girl, shut your mouth and get some sleep."

"Okay," she said, closing her eyes, resting her rosy cheek on her hands. I took my seat next to Emma so I could watch over her and leaned my back against the tree trunk, sighing.

"Do you think we're gonna see some vampires or werewolves tonight?" Emma asked, raising her head up. I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Emma, go to sleep!" I scolded. She giggled and shifted so she could rest her head on my thigh. I jumped at her surprising action.

"Good night, Mathias," she said quietly and closed her eyes, a small smile crossing her lips. My expression softened and I stroked her hair gently.

"Good night, Emma," I whispered back and only received a soft snore in response. I chuckled lightly. Once Emma had drifted off to sleep, she slept like the death and I wasn't sure if a bear could wake her up. I couldn't fathom how she managed to wake up early every morning, though she wasn't a morning person.

My thoughts turned into a more important subject. How were we going to make it home? We had no idea where we were. Our only option was to travel to the east and seek for help from the people there. And once we knew where we were, how were we supposed to travel back home, with no currency and no plastic? I could go missing for a week and nobody would say a word but Emma, her father would worry sick and he would dig up the whole town, search every corner of the world just to find his daughter. He was often out for a business trip and rarely remained home with her, which sometimes made her think he didn't love her, but Emma was life – she was the world to him. How would he react, how would he take the news that she suddenly disappear without any track? Oh, he would be furious. And when he discovered she disappeared along with me, he would accuse me for kidnapping his daughter and when he couldn't find me, he would blame it all on my family and that was _not_ good at all. And how were we going to cope with all lay ahead us? It seemed to be winter here. I looked at Emma. She was wearing a white shirt, a pink jumper and thin red jackets, brown pants and white shoes. I was afraid that it wouldn't be enough for her to get through this weather. Winters in the forests and mountains were always very rough.

My mind went back to the one that brought us here and the words he had said made me confused. He said that my time had come, and told me to finish what I hadn't finished, to change the past and change the fate of my people, my kingdom, and called me 'Fire King'. How did he know about my ability? Why did he call me a king? What did he mean by 'what I had not finished' and 'change the past, change the fate fate of my people, my kingdom'? I was no monarch. And the time had come for what? He also said he vowed to protect the queen of Arendelle, that he had failed her once and had to make up his mistake. I thought Arendelle was only some country name the Disney film producer made up. And even when I hadn't been one for history or paid much attention in history classes, I knew that there was no country, no nation, no town or city named Arendelle. But could there be somewhere named Arendelle? Or was I insane? No. The mirror and the medal glowed. Marcus appeared and vanished like a ghost. Emma was here with me. I couldn't have lost my mind, could I? I wished this had been a dream, but reality was cruel. We were stuck in a strange land and sent here through a magic portal in the mirror of my room by a stranger. Oh, sure, this would be fun, no problem at all!

How long would we be stuck here? How would my family react if they knew I'd gone missing? Oh, Mama would cry every single drop of her tears out. Papa and Edgar could be more composed, but Mama, she would overreact! Irene and the kids would try every way to soothe her out but I wasn't sure how long would it work. If it took us longer than we expected to get home, how were we going to survive, with no food and supplies?

There were too many questions needed to be answered…

Emma was soundly asleep. I couldn't help but to smile at her. There was no way to deny that she was an absolutely adorable little girl. Her petite frame curled into a ball beside me, head rested on my thigh, hair getting a little messy. She had tiny freckles all over her nose and cheekbones, thin rosy lips looking like red in the firelight.

The sounds of footsteps had torn me away from my thoughts. I quickly looked up and eyed the area around us. I continued to hear the footsteps coming toward us.

I slid away from Emma and placed her head down on the ground gently, careful not to wake her and stood up, headed toward where the sounds came from.

I went deeper into the woods, following the sounds I heard. The night was dark. The woods were too thick and the moonlight could hardly go through it and touch the ground. The footsteps had gone into the other direction, but curiosity had kept my feet moving. I kept walking and walking, my mind not knowing where I was heading but my feet kept pulling me into nowhere. It seemed that something was pulling me, urging me, forcing me to go. Truth to be told, I wanted to know if tthere was someone in these woods, or it was simply some animals moving in the dark, hunting and seeking for food.

I parted the leaves and went through the bush to see a small lake. There, I could see the night sky and the moon was shining brightly. The lake was glistening in the light of the silver moon. When I had a better look, I saw that it was frozen. Trees were lightly frosted. The shore was covered in a thin layer of snow, which was starting to melt, so I assumed that spring was on its way to this land, but that also meant Emma and I were somewhere far in the north. It looked like a winter wonderland here. I took a minute to take in its glorious beauty.

My eyes suddenly caught sight of something – a shadowed figure standing under the shadow of the tree, back facing me. I narrowed my eyes and stepped closer to see it was someone wearing a black hooded cloak. The person seemed to not acknowledging my presence – I was very light on my feet; that didn't surprise me, though. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind; maybe I could ask he or she where I was and which was back to my home. Maybe the person could be able to help us.

I approaced the hooded figure but before I could open my mouth and say anything, all of a sudden, the person spun around to face me. I saw something shining was pulled out and placed against the skin of my neck. A hand shot out and pushed me backward, causing my back to slam against the tree trunk, pinning me firmly into the tree a few steps behind us, while the other hand held the blade against my throat. I was completely shocked before the action that I wasn't able to realise what had just happened. The force that person used to shove me wasn't very strong, but the action was too quick that I couldn't turn my hand.

I swallowed nervously and held my breath, feeling the ice cold irony blade pressed against my throat, completely confused and panicking. Looking down at the person who attacked me, I saw a young woman. I couldn't see all her face since the shadow of her hood had covered it. But I could see her eyes glinting like two diamonds in the shadow of her hood, glaring daggers at me. I was stunned at the sudden change in them. A second ago, they were sharp as the blade she was placing against my throat, but now they were wide and full of shock and fear, which made me confused. Her expression turned from furious and scared into complete shock and surprise. A second ago, she looked as if she was ready to kick me out of this place or even dive the blade into my neck. A cold breeze suddenly washed over us, chilling me to my bones. The woman dropped the dagger and backed away from me, hands trembling and her hood had fallen from her head, revealing her platinum blonde hair and her face. She was probably a few years younger than me. I froze and stared at her, admiring her beauty. She was beautiful – gorgeous, with her platinum hair flowing down her back and shoulder in cascading waves, thin rosy lips and pale skin that was almost the colour of the snow on the ground underneath us, eyes a colour of crystal blue, glinting like stars in the silver moonlight. There was something so familiar about her and something strange growing inside me. I felt this feeling familiar and yet so foreign to me. My heart was pounding against my chest, the heat swirling inside me, I felt as though I was going to explode the moment my eyes lay on her.

The young woman clamped her hands over her mouth to cover her gasp. I could see tears filling up in her eyes. I took a step closer to her. She moved toward me a little and looked at me with sincere eyes as if she had known me for the whole life, but there were confusion and doubts in them, too. I felt her trembling hand reaching out toward my face. I instinctively jerked away from her, a small gasp escaping my lips. The woman stood frozen for a brief moment, wide eyes staring at me. I opened my mouth to speak to her but she spun around and ran away from me as fast as she could across the frozen lake to the other side of it, cloak fluttering in the air as she went; I stared at her until she had disappeared into the shadow of the woods. I wanted to call out for her, to grab her and refuse to let her go, but my body was having trouble with doing things my brain was commanding me to and saying the words my mind was shouting.

Something suddenly caught my eyes. I looked down and saw the dagger she had dropped. I bent and picked it up to examine it. The light blue blade was as cold as ice, and I couldn't recognise the metal. There was a blue snowflake on the hilt of the dagger, shining like a blue star in the pure moonlight. I started to wonder why people still used this weapon in these modern days.

I wanted desperately to chase after her, to know who she was, though I couldn't fathom what motivation had urged me to, but knowing that I couldn't leave Emma alone for too long, I had to leave my curiosity aside and put the young girl's sake before it. I looked down at the dagger in my hand. I didn't know who the woman was, where she lived, I couldn't return this to her though I really wanted to. But it could be useful in the future for me and Emma. Quickly, I gathered enough firewood for us to survive through the cold night and made my way back to where I had left Emma.

When I came back, I saw her was still soundly asleep against the tree truck, curling into a ball, snoring quietly, drooling on the arm folded under her head, and I couldn't help but chuckling at her cuteness.

I added more woods to the fire and sat there, eyes laying on the blooms of fire bursting through the woods but mind wandering to the other thoughts. I held the dagger in my hand, fingers tracing along the length of the cold blade. The woman I encountered earlier in the woods had put up tons of questions in my mind. When she pressed the dagger against my throat, her eyes were cold and sharp as the blade she was holding; but when they lay on mine, in a matter of a blink of an eye, the coldness turned into astonishment, with a hint of disbelief and bewilderment in them; when I took a step closer to her, her look was half hope and half doubt; but when I backed away from her, her gaze darkened, body trembling and her world shattered into pieces, eyes nothing but agony and sorrow. It is very long to express our encounter in words, but it was like a sudden breeze of summer. I could never forget those eyes and all the feelings written in them, and I doubt that I would even when I'm dead. I could never forget her. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever met, like a goddess. There was something so familiar about her, she was somehow so dear to me, like I'd known her for my whole life; but at the same time she was a stranger to me. I felt a strong unbreakable connection between us, but there was a chasm separating us apart for eternity. She was so close, but yet so distant, every time I reached for her she would fade away or even if I managed to, the moment wouldn't last long and I would lose her eventually, sooner or later. Somehow I had the feeling that she was mine and I was hers, but we could never be together and the word eternity wasn't meant for us.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Emma moaned lightly and rolled onto her back, stretching her arms over her head with a cute little grunt. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palms. The sun had already risen. The sky was a little grey, which she didn't like much and made her feel like curling under the cover of a warm bed and procceeding her beautiful dreams. But realising that she had to be up and find her way home, she quit with those ideas and stopped darting her eyes around until her gaze met mine. Emma was childish, but she could be serious sometimes, too serious, even, which made her seem like an adult, not a child.

"Morning, Mathias," she smiled to me. I gave her a small smile. She stood up from the tree and walked over to me.

"There're good news and bad news," I said.

"How so?" she asked.

"The good news is we will probably make it there to the village tonight," I replied.

"And the bad news is?" she motioned me to continue.

"I can't find any food around here," I informed, ready for her burstout. I had gone out to find some in the night since I couldn't sleep at all. It was a risk to leave Emma alone so I didn't dare to go too far. I went back to the lake and thawed the ice to see if there was any fish but there wasn't, unfortunately. I wasn't worried about me. I could stay for a couple of days without eating and would still be quite alright. But Emma, I didn't think she had been through half a day without any food. That was what I was worry about.

"That's okay," Emma grinned. I was completely stunned. My eyes grew wide. I was expecting her to jump up and panick. But she was completely calm and composed. She pulled out a packet from her jacket pocket. "I have some biscuits here. We can share, don't worry. So which way is to the village?"

_Oh, right, I forgot. That's Emma, she always have some food with her. I wonder how she doesn't get fat._

I chuckled lightly, "Save it for the day. You'll need it more than I do, kid. Come on. Let's get going. We don't have time to waste." I gestured her to follow me.

"Okay," Emma said merrily and jogged to keep up with me. "We're going on an adventure. Oh, this is awesome! It's like we're two adventurers journey through a strange land to explore the extraordinaries! We'll face the dangers and even strange and dangerous creatures, meet some new friends on the way and oh, even find _true love!_" she squealed, winking at me. I rolled my eyes and smacked my hand against my forehead, shaking my head slowly. Oh, God, this was going to be a long, _long_ day.

We had been travelled for the whole day. Time had passed and the sun had begun to set. We stopped for a break near a chasm and under a lightly frosted willow tree, watching the scarlet fireball sank down the horizon and into the sea. I came stood at the edge of the cliff, eyeing the ranges of mountains spreading in the east, misty and mighty in the lavender and orange rays of twillight and the forest down there and in the west, bathing in the last golden sunlights of the day, further to the south, behind the mountain range, was the sea, quiet, peaceful and tender, like a mother's lap, swallowing the sun into its abdomen. I had never seen the sea in at this distance before. I could see the ships and boats far away; that meant there were people in the South, a city in the south. But we were almost to that village. We couldn't turn away now. It would take us days to get to the sea and we needed food and supplies. Truly, this place was magnificent. Mother Nature had fully succeeded in creating this beautiful, this mighty place. I had to admit, I was completely speechless and lacked of words to describe the scene I was observing. I wondered which place it was. A cold breeze gently brushed against my skin, causing me to shudder. Surprisingly, it was comfortably cold. I looked back to the path we had taken. The woods were thick and dark, although it was springtime here, when the plants and flowers were supposed to be blossoming. But forests here looked so deadly. I wondered why. My gaze turned to the weird-looking mountain standing alone far away in the north. I could see something sparkling on the top of it, but I didn't know what and why.

"Wow."

I jumped and turned around to see Emma standing beside me, mouth agape, admiring the beautiful view, green eyes opened wide. Apparently she had already finished her meal.

"This is so… beautiful," she whispered admiringly.

"Yeah," I agreed, smirking. "You finished eating?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I still save some for ya. You must be hungry."

"Nah, I'm good," I refused. "Go ahead and have the rest of it. We still have to make it tonight. You need it more than I do."

"You need food, too. You have fire power, but you're still a human and humans need food to survive. No, you need it, maybe not now but you will. I'm saving half for you. I wouldn't have all of them now. We still need it for tonight. Who knows what would slow us down?"

"Fine," I rolled my eyes. "Are you sure you've had enough rest?"

"Yup," Emma nodded.

"Alright, let's move out," I said.

"Yes, sir," she giggled. "This way to that village?" she pointed at the right, looking at me with a small grin on her face. I chuckled and grabbed her arm, pointed it at the mountains.

"More like… this way," I smirked. She turned around to look at it and her grin dropped. We had to get deep into the woods to get there. I wondered why they would choose to live there, in the middle of nowhere, instead of the port city in the south. I was sure they had their reasons. But that didn't matter at the moment, what mattered was we needed to get there before it got too late at night to find somewhere to stay. Dusk had fallen and I reckoned that when we got there, it was almost midnight. I wish we had a watch or something to know what time it was.

We continued on our way. The woods weren't very thick here and we could still see the sky above. An hour or two might have past and apparently the moon wouldn't show up that night. It was getting darker and harder to see so I had made a torch to prevent the situation, thankful that I was born with this ability. It was a little strange that the closer we got to our destination, the colder the dagger became. I could feel its blade pressed into me through the fabric of my shirt, cold as ice. I wondered why because my body was warmer than normal. Emma was clinging onto me. I could feel her tense and shake every time. She was frightened. I knew she was always afraid of the dark.

"Hey, hey, it's going to be alright. I'm not gonna let anything harm you," I held her hand with my free one, squeezing it lightly to reassure her. She looked at me with uncertain green eyes but nodded, forcing a small smile to her lips.

"Mathias?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you think my dad would be worried about me?"

"Of course he will. He loves you. Don't worry. We'll make it home. I'll take you back to your father."

Emma didn't reply. I heard her sniffing. I knew that she was crying. I stopped and knelt down so I would be in the same eye-level to her. I smiled and cupped the sides of her face with my hands, thumbing her tears away.

"Don't cry. I know you're scared. I'm scared, too. But I'll find a way to bring you home. You're safe with me, Emma. Nothing's going to harm you with me here," I whispered softly. Emma nodded and smiled shyly to me, whiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

"I guess this isn't like the kind of adventure I was expecting to have, huh?"

"I guess so."

"I miss Dad. I want to go home so much."

"I know. I do, too. But first thing, we gotta find our way back, right?"

"Yeah, we should keep moving. Are we almost there?"

"I think so."

I said getting up and grabbing her hand and continued moving on the way. We didn't stop until we both heard footsteps coming toward us.

"Someone's coming," I whispered. Emma gasped as I grabbed her and hid her behind me. I held my torch a little further to have a clearer view of who was approaching us but it was helpless. I narrowed my eyes and saw something moving behind the bushes.

"Mathias, what's going on?" Emma asked with quiet shaky voice. She was terrified.

"Shush, Emma," I hushed her, motioning her to keep silence. She held on tight to my arms, grabbing a fistful of my sleeve in her hand. I could feel the power crept to the tips of my finger, ready to blast out if anything – or anyone – attacked us.

We saw the people started stepping closer to us slowly, revealing themselves to the dim light of my torch. There were about a dozen of them in every direction. It would seem that Emma and I had no escape. They were all dressed in the same colour and pointing… crossbows at us? Why on earth would they use crossbows in these modern days? I had expected that they would point guns at us, but cross bows? And what did we do? Wait, were we intruding someone's land and they were here to throw us into jail? I saw each of them had a sword and a knife hanging at their belts. They were dressed like the 18th or 19th century.

"Oh my God," my eyes grew wide as we backed up a little from them. A wind suddenly washed over us and extinguished my fire. That was strange. How could winds here make my fire die down?

"Who are you?" a middle-aged man with dark brown hair and beard demanded.

"Uh…" my eyes darted at Emma, who was as pale as a ghost, eyes wide in fear.

"I said 'who are you?'" he repeated through his gritted teeth, this time more threateningly.

"Alright, guys, let's not be so stressed and work this thing out togeth… whoa!" I exclaimed and raised my hands to brace myself as a bolt flew towards me, burning it to ash with a blaze of my power.

"He's one of them," one of them exclaimed.

"One of… What?" I asked.

"Get him!" another one shouted.

"Whoa, easy there guys, there's a girl here with me!" I tried to reason with them but they drew their swords and charged at me. Two against twelve, that wasn't fair at all, but they didn't seem to know the meaning of the word. Their blades were glowing blue, which made me confused. Emma screamed and hid behind me. I shot a ball of fire at one man but he took it with his sword and as the fire reached it, it vanished. My eyes grew wide and apparently so did Emma's. How could they do that?

Before my mind could come up with another question, a blade was about to be brought down at me. Not thinking twice, I drew out the dagger in my jacket to parry his attack. The man's eyes widened as he saw the blade. The moment the two blades touched, the dagger glowed blue and the man attacking me was blown away a few yards from us and onto two of his partners. I looked down at the dagger in my hand and frowned. What kind of weapon was this?

"Where did you get it?" Emma asked.

"I don't know, Emma," I replied, though I didn't know why I lied to her like that. I just came to my mind.

I quickly looked up and saw more men charging me. I shoved Emma a few steps backward and turned my attention back to the men charging at me. I dodged their attack. Apparently they had no intention in killing me.

"Mathias, watch out!" I heard Emma shouted. Turning to the right, I saw a fist swinging to my face. Taken by surprise, I dropped the dagger and hit the ground. _Damn it_, I thought, looking at the dagger laying a few metters from me. I heard the sound of a sword raised over my head, ready to strike, and rolled over to my right. I pushed myself off the ground and struck the men with blasts of fire. They were once again dispersed by the blades. Honestly, my fire could be useful in this but unfortunately, I didn't have much control over them and I didn't want to be charged with manslaught in a strange land, or kill anyone with my curse. I had a thing in my mind. Perhaps I could block their weapons away and beat them then run away with Emma. I raised one hand to strike them again but someone cut in.

"Halt!" one of them shouted. I turned around and saw a man with raven hair was holding a knife against Emma's throat. She was shaking and looking at me with terrified eyes.

"Emma!" I shouted and rushed over to her but stopped as I saw him holding the blade closer to her neck and she squealed.

"Let her go!" I demanded, hands glowing red with fire.

"Surrender and come with us. We'll spare both of you."

I turned around to see who had said. My eyes lay on the large man with brown hair. I glared at him and he glared back at me. I looked around and saw that we were trapped. There was no way out for this. I couldn't be able to make a move. If I did, that blade would slash through Emma's neck at instance. Plus, one against twelve, I wouldn't be able to win this battle. I glanced back at Emma and sighed then raised my hands in defeat.

"Good boy," he said. Two men came and held each of my arms, tying them with ropes. Once again, a question struck my mind, why did they use ropes instead of chains? I could easily burn them and escape. Maybe that was why they threatened Emma's life. Where was I, anyway? What if that goddamn portal didn't simply take us to another land? How were we going to get back home?

_The savages,_ I cursed silently.

"Take him and the girl away. The prince would want to speak to you," the brown haired man ordered.

"Where are you taking us?" I asked. He didn't answer. Instead, he gestured his men to take me and Emma away. I glanced backward to see Emma was walking behind me, accompanied by a young man about my age or even younger, sobbing quietly, hands tied in front of her. She was frightened and completely confused of what had just happened. Over her shoulder, I could see the brown-haired man was holding the dagger in his hand, glaring at me. What the hell did I do to them that they hated me so much since the first place? I mean, they attacked me first, didn't they?

"Emma, you're alright? Did they hurt you?" I asked. She shook her head, which made me feel a little relieve. Her eyes were telling me that she was fine and I didn't have to worry about her.

"Don't worry, son," a middle-aged man with grey hair said. I turned my head to the side and faced him. "We won't do any harm to the little girl, unless you try to escape or use your fire magic to resist. We can't say the same about you, though."

"What do you want from me?" I growled.

"Oh, it isn't us who want something from you," a man holding my right arm replied. "It is _our prince_ who wants something from you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They didn't take us to the south; instead, they were taking us to the east. That meant they were from that village. It would seem that eventually, we were still heading to our original destination. But they said their prince wanted to see me. So, we were in some country, and we were far away from home, and about to meet royalty of a country. What did this prince want from me? Was it something about my power? It could be. The men said I was 'one of them', so perhaps they'd mistaken me with some sort of criminal? I started to think that we had intruded their land illegally, but I soon declined it. And once we met that 'prince', how was I supposed to explain to him that Emma and I were thrown into a magical protal to this land? My mind started to spin with hundreds of questions. The dagger, how did it glow? What power did it hold? Was it some sort of magical weapon? If it was, who really was that woman I encountered in the woods the last night? Was she some kind of sorceress? How could those men block my magic with their swords? I saw their blades glowing blue at the same time with the dagger. What if they arrested me because of the dagger? Well, if that was so, they would be arresting me because of nothing because I didn't know a clue about this dagger, or even its owner. Hell, if I weren't stuck with Emma, I would have gone search for that woman.

_At least we got one benefit in this that we wouldn't have to worry about getting lost._ I thought sarcastically with a small smirk.

Had it not been for the impetuous sound of the water falling fiercely down the cliff, I would have still been lost in deep thoughts and missed the beautiful scene. I looked around me. Despite the situation I was in, I couldn't help but smile, observing the view with admiring eyes. It would seem that it took longer than I had expected to get to that village. The sun was peering from the top of the mountain, shyly revealing its glorious golden self to the pure blue sky, slightly painting it with some pink and orange rays. This place was somehow different to the woods we had crossed. It was springtime here and flowers were blossoming, birds were singing in a joyful tune, green grass wet in dew. Everything seemed to full of magic, energy, hope, happiness, full of sounds and yet, so peaceful. It was like paradise here. What was this magical place that made me fall madly in love with at the first moment I stepped into it? Truth to be told, even when it was somehow fearsome and deadly, I had loved the forests, and even the mountains, the sea… since the moment I looked at them in the sunset. Everything here somehow seemed so familiar and dear to me. I felt like… home…

"Alright, we're close. Blindfold them," the brown-haired man instructed. Apparently he was the leader of this group. Two men came toward me and Emma and coverred our eyes with black fabric. Once they were sure that we couldn't see, they continued to lead us in our way. Though I couldn't see a thing, I could still use my other senses and tell that they were leading us to behind the waterfall. I guessed there was a secret passage behind the waterfall, because I heard large rock being rolled aside.

I heard fire being lit. So, apparently, we were in a dark cave and they needed torches to provide light so they could see the way. It was a little slippery here, I imagined that Emma would occasionally trip and the man accompanying her would have to help her from falling all the time. I chuckled lightly at the thought of the little girl. We went deeper and deeper into the cavern. It seemed endless to me. But then I started to hear footsteps and humans' voices. We suddenly stopped for a moment. Two men were conversing. I tried to listen to what they were saying but couldn't figure out what kind of language they were speaking. We then continued to go deeper. I could feel the coldness in here increasing as we went. I heard the echoes water dropping from the ceiling of the cavern.

We stopped again and this time Emma and I were unblindfolded. I soon got used to the dim orange light of the torches in the cavern. Emma moved a little closer to my side. She was still frightened, I could see her tensing. I gave her a reassuring smile to calm her down but it didn't seem to work. There stood three men, a middle-aged man with pepper hair and a younger one with auburn hair facing us and a tall, broad and muscular man with blonde hair standing with his back facing us.

"Prince Kristoff," the brown-haired man who had arrested us said. The blonde haired man turned around. He was quite a handsome young man, about my age, wearing a green tunic, brown jacket, black pants and brown leather boots. For a royalty, his clothes were very simple. From the look of his brown eyes, I could see that he was extremely worried. I started to wonder again. Why would a prince choose this place to be his domain? I thought they were supposed to be in castles or palaces?

"Captain Roff," he said in hurry. "Did you find her?"

"No, Highness, but we got these two in the woods. This man held the queen's dagger," Roff pointed at me. Wait, the queen's dagger? Emma's eyes went wide and she immediately shifted her eyes toward me, shocked. I shook my head and shrugged, silently telling her that I had no idea about it. "I believe that he has something to do with Her Majesty's absence."

The prince's eyes darted toward me. They grew wide as they lay on me. He stared at me for a moment, jaw dropped. The two men talking to him earlier gasped. What were they looking at? Why were they staring at me and Emma, especially me?

"Westerguard, you're alive?" the prince asked. He then laughed and embraced me. I jumped in surprise. He was truly strong. He could have cracked some of my bones. I could barely breathe. And why did he hug us? Did we know each other? My head spun with questions and confusions. The others stared at us, stunned.

Prince Kristoff broke away from me, running his hands through his blonde hair, grinning. His eyes were full of joy and happiness. He looked at us as if we were family of his. "Oh my God, you are alive? How did you… All this time, we thought you were dead… Oh my God… what would Elsa say if she knows you're alive? What would Anna say? And did you see Anna? Is she alright? What did they do to her? Where do they keep her? And who is this little companion of yours? Nevermind, you're alive! Gosh… Elsa is not going to believe this. What would Ander and Olaf say if they see you...? Hell, what would people say? And your brothers… what would they say?" he paused for a second. "Westerguard, how did you even manage to escape?" What on earth was he talking about? My name wasn't Westerguard. And I only had one brother. Did I have more than one? He had definitely mistaken me to someone else. And who were all those people he mentioned? I didn't know any of them.

"I'm sorry, Highness, do we know each other?" I asked. "You must have mistaken me to someone else. My name isn't Westerguard."

"Of course it is. What are you talking about?" he laughed nervously then paused, frowning. "Wait, it's not?" I shook my head in response.

"Then who are you?" he asked.

"Your Highness, this man is one of the fire slaves. He has kidnapped our queen. He has her dagger with him. He even attacked us with it," Roff held out the dagger. The prince took it from the captain, glancing at me, eyes full with anger. "He must be questioned immediately, or I fear for the queen's fate."

"Hey, I did not…" I retorted.

"Kristoff!" a female's voice cut in. We all turned around. My mouth fell open as my eyes lay on the one had spoken. She approached us in a quick pace, black cloak fluttering as she went, long platinum hair flowing down her shoulder and back in cascading waves, skin glowing like fresh fallen snow, sword dangling at her slender waist, hilt shining in an icy blue. Her cerulean blue eyes were demanding and furious, ice cold glare piercing into the core of our bones, sharp like a blade of a sword. I suddenly felt the temperature in the cavern taking a massive dive and shivered at the chilling coldness. My eyes never left hers. She had taken a quick glance at me. I could read everything written in them, though our gazes only met in half a heartbeat. They still wore the coldness and anger swirling in her but I was certain that I had caught a glimpse of sorrow and grief in her eyes.

Then it struck me. I almost stumbled backward at the sudden image appeared in my mind had I not managed to keep my balance. I remembered those eyes. I couldn't have mistaken. They were the same – exactly the same. The vision was too clear. She was the one, the woman in my dream.

All men bowed at her, greeting their queen with all their respect, and she glided pass them. I stared at her in awe. She looked even more gorgeous than in dreams. Her beauty was s striking and glorious one, more than the glow of Aurora. Every step she took was confident and strong, without any hesitance or shyness. She kept her face regal and strict, like a true queen should be. Her head was held high and proud, showing her authority and status.

"Elsa, where have you been?" the prince asked. But the queen scowled at him and refused to answer his question.

"What is the meaning of this, Kristoff?" she demanded, glaring at him. The temperature in the chamber had furiously dropped and turned freezing cold. "I've only gone for three days and you already messed things up?" The prince opened his mouth to retort but she didn't give him and chance. "Sending a search party after me, do you know the consequence of your action, you idiotic man? You've endangered all the people's lives here, do you know that? Had I not always reminded you that our location cannot be known by our enemy, Brother?" The prince lowered his head in shame, knowing the best was to keep silence and not to argue with his sister, though I couldn't find any similarity in them to conclude that they were siblings. She stood a few steps in front of him, barely reached his brows. How strange to see such a large man was so low and small in front of a petite woman, whom he could easily crush into half with his strong arms.

Queen Elsa shifted her gaze toward us, eyes darting from me to Emma. I felt the place was getting warmer. She stared at me for a brief moment then sharply turned toward her brother and the captain standing beside him. "Who are these two people?" she asked. "I don't recall them as a villager here." Her voice had become less angered and her expression had softened a bit. Kristoff stared at her in surprise.

"No, Majesty. We found these two in the woods last night, Majesty," Roff replied. "This man had your dagger with him…"

"And you suspected he had something to do with my absence in the past three days?" the queen interrupted, arching an eyebrow at him. "Bringing strangers here, had I not warned you about that, Captain Roff? You're supposed to be most aware of it."

"But Your Majesty, this man is one of the fire slaves," he retorted.

"The… I'm sorry, what?" I asked. The queen turned to me, eyes darting over my body, studying me. Her eyes shifted back to Emma, who was tensing and shaking, eyes filling up with fear.

"I understand that you are well aware of this man. But why is the little girl tied up with him? She bears no power, unlike her companion here," she gestured to me. "I'm certain that she means no harm. Release her. This is not the way we treat innocent children."

One man nodded and cut the ropes had been tying Emma. I sighed in relief as Emma was free. At least I knew the queen was a good person, and she would be kind enough to not do any harm before questioning us.

"You're the queen of Arendelle," Emma whispered, staring at Queen Elsa with wide eyes.

"Indeed I am, child. From the look of your clothes, I assume that you've travelled a long way from home, correct?" the queen replied, kneeling down in front of her. Emma nodded in respond. "Don't be afraid, child. I have no intention on doing you or your companion any harm. What's your name?" she asked, giving the little girl a reassuring smile, which seemed to calm Emma down a little.

"Emma," she replied shyly. "Where we come from is very, very far from here, but I know Arendelle is a harbor city. Why are you way up here? You're the queen. I thought you're supposed to be in the castle, with your sister and Olaf. Where is Princess Anna?"

The queen's face went dark at Emma's question.

"Emma, don't be rude," I chided, shooting her a glare. She shouldn't have spoken like that. It was not a way to speak to a queen. Damn it, now she could have us killed for being rude to Queen Elsa.

"It's alright," Queen Elsa said, standing up. "She's only a little girl. She'll learn how to act properly. But it will take time to do it," she then turned toward the guards. "Untie this man. He won't be able to cause any damage, at least not with my presence here." Her voice seemed a little nervous. They obeyed her, though I could see hesitance. But the queen wasn't the type of person you want to argue with, it would seem. Alas, I was finally free. I didn't think I could stand any moment being tied up like that. It had been more than ten years since I joined the military. I'd never been one for wars and battles, as I had stated before. The queen's brother handed her back her dagger and she slid it back into the shealth at her belt.

"Thank you, Majesty," I said, bowing.

"At ease," she said. Her face was regal and frigid. Her eyes were blank, as if there were no feelings written in them. Standing in front of me wasn't the woman I met in my dreams or in the woods, she was the queen, my superior and perhaps the one who held my and Emma's fate in hands. "I trust that we haven't properly introduced. I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle. This is Kristoff, my brother-in-law." Oh, now I understood why they didn't look similar.

"Kristoff is fine. After seven years, I'm still not used to formalities and tittles," Kristoff rolled his eyes. "You said your name isn't Westerguard." The queen's eyes went wide and she glared at her brother-in-law, silently asking what he told me already. And he simply shrugged.

"No, High- Kristoff," I said. "My name is Mathias Watson."

"From the look of your clothing, I understand that you've travelled a great deal to Arendelle. What brings you here?" Queen Elsa asked.

"We had no intention in travelling to Arendelle, Majesty," I replied. "But for some reasons, we ended up being lost in Arendelle's woods."

"Can you be more specific?"

"I don't know if you're going to believe me or not, perhaps even think that we have lost our minds," I sighed and held out the silver medal from my pocket. "Emma and I were transported here through a magic mirror and this is the key to that portal. Two nights ago, one man appeared in my room and tucked me into the mirror. Emma followed me. The man's name is Marcus Wolff. He claimed to be one of your men."

"Marcus?" the queen frowned, taking the medal from my hand and examined it.

"Marcus Wolff," Kristoff repeated, "Isn't he dead?" My eyes went wide in shock. So he was a ghost, wasn't he?

Queen Elsa glanced at me. "This medal is quite old, due to the designs on it. The words carved in this medal are written in Ancient Arendellian, a language that is foreign from you, I assume? It says,

'_Through the gates of magic_

_Into the tides of time_

_Change the past and future_

_Rewrite what fate has designed'_"

So, according to these words, this is a medal that can help people travel back and forth in time. Apparently you two have been sent to another time of history. The year is now 1798."

"It seems like we're 215 years back in time," Emma said, mouth falling agape in astonishment. I, too, was completely shocked. We were stuck in history, in a land that I assumed to be non-existent. There was no nation named Arendelle, that's for sure. Queen Elsa stared at me for a few moments. "Come with me," she said before spinning around and started walking away. I grabbed Emma's hand and took her with me, following the queen with Kristoff striding beside us.

"As I remember," Emma spoke up, sliding her hand away from mind, "Arendelle is a harbor city. Why are we way up here? You're Elsa's brother-in-law and that makes you Anna's husband, correct? Do you have kids? How long has it been since Elsa's coronation?"

"Eight years," Kristoff replied. "Anna and I have been married for seven years now. We have a little guy. Love him to death. Say, you're from the future, but you know a lot, don't you?"

_What the hell are they talking about?_ I thought.

"Well, not after the Great Freeze, I don't," Emma said.

"Elsa ruled Arendelle without a hitch. The country has expanded further to the east. That is Elsa's doing. She is the greatest queen Arendelle has ever had. Things have been going smoothly for the next seven years. But not everything is perfect. You know Hans and the Southern Isles, right?" he asked. She nodded. "The King of the Southern Isles never wanted war on Arendelle. But his eldest and youngest son does. Unfortunately, King Frederick passed away two years ago. A year later, despite that all of his other brothers were against him, King Alfonse declared war on Arendelle and sent Hans to attack us, with the help of Weselton – or Weasel Town, as all we Arendellians prefer." Emma and I laughed at the ridiculous name. Kristoff chuckled. "We were outnumbered. One against two kingdom, we didn't have much chance. We lost so many lives. The King and Queen of Corona, Elsa and Anna's cousins, sent an army to aid us. But they were too late. When they were only a few miles away from Arendelle's shore, Hans has already taken the throne. He had both the royal sisters. Elsa managed to escape, but it took her a few months to fully recover. She was seriously wounded. We thought she wouldn't survive. But thank goodness she did. But she has changed so much since then. The war… it did terrible things to her. We want to strike Arendelle and help Elsa reclaim her throne and kingdom, but they have Anna. So there's nothing we can do about it, at least until we have Anna back. Elsa would occasionally sneak out and tried to use her magic to find out where they keep Anna, so we can rescue her. But she failed all the time."

Emma covered her mouth with her hands and gasped, "That's so horrible."

I looked over at the queen and caught her glancing at me over her shoulder. Startled, she turned around and wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach. At that distance, I was sure that intentionally or not, she could obviously hear our conversation, and it had brought back unpleasant memories to her. After all what had happened to her kingdom, her sister, how could she not react when hearing someone mentioning it? She had been through so much. Maybe that was the reason why her eyes seemed so sad and she had become so reserved. I suddenly felt the temperature started dropping furiously again. And I heard something cracking under my foot. I glancd down and gasped as I saw ice and I was even more astonished when I saw where it came from. As the queen went, she left a trail of frost behind her. I stopped my stride and stood frozen. She was like me? She had powers? We both had powers, but mine was fire and she was… ice.

The queen stopped her stide, her regal mask slipped. I could see her tensing and shaking. Cold wind started blowing and snow started to fall. A blizzard swirled in the chamber. I stood frozen in place, staring at the woman before me. She had powers just like me. We were just born in different times of history. Maybe that was the reason why that old man Marcus sent me here. I wasn't alone. And all these years, I thought I was.

"Whoa, Elsa, calm down! Just relax, calm down. Control it," Kristoff exclaimed, rushing toward his sister-in-law and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Queen Elsa took a deep breath and calmed herself down. The blizzard stopped instantly, leaving no signs as if nothing had happened. _Incredible,_ I thought. I never imagined that someone could gain control in a matter of seconds. Honestly, I was haunted with the fear that I could have hurt Emma since we came to this land. I started to lose control a lot lately. It was a relief to me that I hadn't had any outburst, and thankfully not in this land, or else I could have been imprisoned or punished for burning their lands.

"Are you alright?" Kristoff asked. He took a quick glance at me then looked back at the queen. "You know, you don't have to do this. I can handle this for you…"

"No," Queen Elsa interrupted, shaking her head and straightening herself. "I'm the queen, Kristoff. And I'll be fine, really." Kristoff sighed but nodded. Her stoic mask had returned to her face once again. She was playing her role as queen perfectly. Truly, she was good at concealing her true feelings. I couldn't imagine someone better than her.

"She… she's like me," I said, mouth standing agape. "It's just that… I'm fire and she's ice."

"I know," Emma said. "She's the snow queen. I told you the story once. Didn't you listen?"

"Well, yes, but you don't expect me to remember it, do you?" I protested.

"Alright, here we go again," she sighed. Queen Elsa and Kristoff were out of eavesdrop now. I was quite relieved. I had a feeling that the story Emma was going to tell me wouldn't be much better than the one the prince had just told us. "Elsa has a younger sister name Anna. One day, when they were young, Elsa accidentally struck Anna with magic. Their parents took them to the trolls. They were able to heal Anna but also took away the memories about Elsa's magic. To be safe, Elsa was locked in her room for thirteen years of her childhood, forbidden to contact to anyone, including Anna. Years went by and the king and queen passed away in a shipwreck at sea. Three years later, Elsa was crowned queen. Anna was so excited. But she was also quite naïve and agreed to marry a man she'd just met that day, the coronation day. He was Hans, the thirteenth prince of the Southern Isles. That action of Anna's had led to an argument between the sisters and the reveal of Elsa's power. Frightened and afraid that she would hurt Anna and the people, she ran away to the North Mountain. Anna left Hans in charge of the kingdom and went searching for her. She met Kristoff on the way, in the Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna. When they came to Elsa's place in the mountain, Anna tried to convince her sister back, but Elsa refused. She was terrified and once again, accidentally froze Anna's heart. Eventually, Anna's heart was thawed because an act of true love, Hans was revealed to be a traitor to the kingdom and he planned to assasinate both the sisters for the throne of Arendelle. Elsa returned home and was welcomed by all the people in her kingdom. After that, well, we both know the story."

I shifted my gaze toward Queen Elsa and frowned. How much had this woman been through? She was the queen, so she had to be strong for her country and her people, her family. But she was but a woman. She could seem so composed and strong but inside, I could tell that she was screaming.

We escaped the cavern, entered and went through the village without my notice. I guess my mind was too busy at the time. People stopped and bowed as their queen and prince passed, or simply gave them a smile or a slight nod as a greeting to the royals if they were in hurry. But they kept staring at me in wide eyes. Gasps of astonishment escaped them as their eyes lay on me, with the reason I couldn't fathom, perhaps because of my and Emma's strange clothing. Our group stopped at the large wooden cottage at the end of the village. Kristoff opened the door to let us in. As we entered, I could see a room with a cold fireplace on the left and only a small window to provide some light on the right. The place was quite dark. In the center of the room, there stood a large rectangular table with twelve chairs around it.

Queen Elsa removed her cloak and sword and hung them on the hook next to the door.

"Take a seat," she said politely, though there was still a bit of coldness in her voice. She and Kristoff sat at one head of the table, while Emma and I took the two seats to the left, next to Kristoff.

The queen glanced at the fireplace then back at me. I could see her unspoken question. I lit my fingers with fire and shot the flames into the fireplace. The woods easily caught the fire and the flames burst out in the fireplace, slowly spreading its warmth across the room. Queen Elsa inhaled deeply and stared at the smoldering fire with admiring eyes, a small smile crossing her thin pink lips. I couldn't read what she was thinking but I could see that for a short moment, there was contendedness in her glistening eyes; they were as blue as the sky and deep and tender like the ocean. I had never seen her smile before, even in my dreams. This was yet another side of her, and I liked it much better than her stoic and ice cold side as queen of Arendelle. We watched as she rose and walked over to the fireplace to get a better look at the fire. I gasped as she bent down and touched the fire and almost shouted had Kristoff not shut me up. The queen moved her hand a little deeper into the fire and pulled out slowly with a small flame dancing a few inches above her palm. My jaw dropped in amazement. Emma gasped, a large grin crossing her face. That was… incredible.

"I haven't seen anything like this in a while," she said, staring at the fire. But her smile suddenly turned into a frown and she snapped it out with a cold breeze from her hand, turning to me, her expression had slipped back into her regal mask. "Were you born with these powers, or cursed?"

"I was born with it, according to my mother," I replied.

"You said that Marcus sent you and Emma here?" she asked.

"Yes, Majesty," I nodded. "Do you know him?"

"As a matter of fact, he was the Captain of Arendelle's Royal Guard for thirty-seven years. My sister and I see him as a close friend of our family. My father, the late king of Arendelle, always considered him as his brother and most trusted friend," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"A year ago, when Arendelle was at war, Elsa was… in no condition to fight. He was assigned to protect her… and Anna… while I was joining the battle. But he failed. When Hans and his army took over Arendelle and captured Elsa and my wife, I brought the rest of the army and the citizens here, though some of them were still stuck in Arendelle, like their queen and princess. I sent Marcus and Lieutenant Roff to bring the two sisters back here," Kristoff continued for her. "Roff managed to get Elsa out and brought her back to us. But Marcus and Anna didn't make it. He was killed and I don't know what happened to Anna. But there's one thing for sure that Hans is still keeping her as his prisoner. He can be a vengeful man, but he is no fool. He knows that with Anna, we won't dare to strike, because Elsa and I can't bear to lose anymore member of the family. We lost many lives in that war."

Upon these words, I glanced at the queen and saw her eyes darting over to the smoldering fire, a hand placing over on her abdomen, lips trembling nervously and eyes darkening, glittering with silvery tears she was trying her best to hold off. Her parents had died at sea, so there was obviously no doubt that she would risk losing her sister. We all sat silently for a moment.

"So, is there any way that you can get us home?" Emma asked, breaking the awkward silence covering all over the room.

"Honestly, we don't know. But we'll find out tomorrow. You can stay here at the time. There are two spare rooms in the house that you can use. Now, I believe that the three of us haven't eaten anything in a while, correct?"

"Majesty, I don't want to intrude," I said.

"There is nowhere else you can stay, unless you two want to sleep in the stable. And besides, that's not an offer. That's an order. Although you two are from the future, I still want to keep an eye on you both, especially you, Son of Fire."

"Well, I guess we have no choice," Emma shrugged.

"Oh, in case I forgot, Elsa, there is a furious Gerda waiting for you," Kristoff cautioned her with a playful smirk. The queen rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, smacking her palm against her forehead. "I think she's only out for a while, but as soon as she gets home."

"I'm in huge trouble, I know. Oh for God's sake, I'm a queen and a grown woman, not a teenage girl," the queen muttered angrily. She sighed and softened her expression. "Where are Ander and Olaf?"

"I don't know, probably with Sven, I think," Kristoff shrugged.

"Kristoff, he's your son. I'm not his mother. Go and look for him. It's almost lunch time. Gerda would be back in a few minutes or so," she turned toward us as Kristoff had gone to look for his son and another guy named Olaf, I guess. "Follow me, I'll show you guys your rooms." She walked toward the exit of the room.

"Yes, Majesty," I said then followed her with Emma close behind me.

Queen Elsa halted. "Call me Elsa," she said without turning around.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The room I was given was a small one. But I liked it. I was all alone and if the room was too big, I would get very lonely. There was a bed, a small wardrobe, a hearth. That was enough for me. I couldn't ask more from the queen. She was very kind to offer us a place to stay. She had arranged Emma a room next to her. They seemed to get along well, even when they had only met an hour earlier. Emma's mother had passed away giving birth to her. She had never known what it was like to have a mother looking after her, and the queen was treating Emma as if she was her daughter. For a queen, this woman was extremely kind and generous to two strangers like me and Emma.

I lit the fire and sat on the chair next to a table in front of the fireplace. Orange and red flames burst out in the hearth like lotus blooming after a summer night. Its warmth and dim light quickly enveloped the air of the room, causing me to smile. Indeed, there was something special about my fire that always made me admire it, and it seemed like me and a particular queen were in an agreement about that. I could never forget the smile on her face when she looked at my fire. Her eyes lay on the dancing flame but her mind was occurred in somewhere else, far from this place, perhaps back in time, to some pleasant memories of the past. She seemed so… relaxed and contented. There was nothing but happiness, pleasure, contentedness and peace in her eyes. They were no longer cold and frigid, as I often saw them.

There was a soft knock on the door. I wondered who it could be. If it was Emma, she would just bark in without knocking. If it was Kristoff, the knock would be heavier and louder, since he seemed to be very strong. I wondered who it could be.

"Come in," I said.

The door opened soundly and to my surprise, the one who had knocked on the door of my room was Queen Elsa. She had fixed her hair into a simple bun and changed her clothes into a thin white shirt with middle-length sleeves, dark brown waistcoat, a skirt with lighter shade of the same colour, white leggings and black shoes. If someone didn't know she was queen, they would mistake her with a commoner because of her simple clothing. She was holding some black fabric in her arms, wearing a small smile on her rosy lips. Although her clothes were average, she still looked beautiful, a simple and natural beauty.

"You would catch a fly with your mouth falling open like that, Mathias," she teased, her smile turning into a playful grin. I startled and silently scolded myself for staring at her like a boy with a schoolyard crush. I quickly closed my mouth and stood up to bow at her.

"Apologies, Majesty," I said.

"If you don't want to be kicked out of this house and forced to sleep in the stable with Kristoff's reindeer – and let me remind you that he's quite a smelly guy, stop calling me 'Majesty', Mathias. There are no formalities in this house," she said, walking toward my bed and laid out the clothes she was holding. I chuckled lightly. So she _did_ have a little fire under her icy cover, nice. "Kristoff has not yet returned with his boy, Ander. I guess the little one has gone further than we expected. It's like I'm his mother," she chuckled, but I could sense some sadness in her voice. "I suppose these would fit you. You can't wear Kristoff's clothes. They're too large for you and smell like reindeer's fur and carrots. Trust me, you don't want to wear it," she stared at the clothes she had laid out on the bed. Though she still wore the smile from the thought of Kristoff's clothing, she couldn't hide the sadness in her eyes as she looked at them. "I'm surprised that we can still keep this. All this time I thought they were lost in the war. How strange that they were able to make it here…" She smoothed the fabric of the clothes, tracing her slender fingers along every seam and folds of them, sighing. I could see a few tears glittering in her eyes but she quickly blinked them away and turned to me. "I hope that you're comfortable here. We don't have much to offer. That's all we've got at the time."

"No, it's fine. This place is quite nice, reminds me of my childhood house a lot. Thank you… for letting me and Emma to stay here," I said with a smile. Elsa smiled back and sat on the edge of the bed, facing me. She pulled the silver medal out from her waistcoat pocket, looking at it.

"About you and Emma's problem," she said, "I'm afraid I don't know anything about this. But there is someone that might be able to give you the answer. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you there. Emma will stay here. I don't think it's wise to let a little girl travel through the woods. I believe I can count on Gera to take care of her and my nephew and Olaf can keep her company. The place is quite far from here, so I suppose it will take about three or four days riding there. I suppose you're not very good at horse-riding?"

"How do you know?" I asked, surprised.

"I just took a guess. You don't look like one for horse travelling, though," she replied. This woman seemed young but she was indeed sharp. I caught her staring at me out of the corner of my eyes, minds appeared to be preoccupied. Only by a soft clear of my throat did she come back ground and glanced down at her feet, cheeks slightly reddening.

After a long awkward moment sitting there in silence, I decided to speak up.

"So, you can conjure ice and snow?" I asked. Elsa smiled and raised her hand, releasing a little snowflake from her palm. It floated above her hand like a blue fire fly. She gently swirled her fingers around it. And to my surprise, it turned into a butterfly and flew toward me. I held out my hand to catch it. As it touched my skin, it burst into tiny snowflakes falling onto the ground.

"This is incredible," I grinned, watching as a few snowflakes lingered on my hand melting in the warm heat of my skin. "And here I thought I was alone."

"So had I been," she replied. "We're not the only beings who have magical powers. There are others, too; some were born with them, some were cursed, some use their powers with good purposes, but some don't. Most people who were cursed had dark magic. It consumed them… changed them."

I suddenly frowned. "Your captain… Roff, if I'm correct, said that I'm one of the fire slaves. What exactly did he mean?"

Elsa sighed, "You know Prince Hans already, right?" I nodded in respond. "He didn't just take Arendelle by his army, you know."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"He got help from a powerful dark sorcerer in the north of Weselton… That's why he managed to capture me and force our army to surrender." She shivered and instinctively bringing a hand to her abdomen, her gaze darkening as her mind recalling the unpleasant memories of the past. "When Roff said the fire slaves, he was referring to some men had been brought back from the death by the sorcerer. He possessed their minds and erased every memory about their past lives so they would obey him and him only. There are about a hundred of them. He gave them the power of fire, what he trusted to be the most powerful power in the world, but their powers are limited, unlike yours and mine. He controls them. They do everything he says."

"Oh," that was all I managed to say.

"I'm deeply sorry that my men insulted you. Please don't mind them. Their minds were clouded by anger at the time. They didn't mean any harm…"

"No, it's alright. I don't mind, really. I'm just... surprised that a man could do such terrible things to someone," I said. Elsa clutched her abdomen tight and bit her bottom lip to keep herself from breaking into tears. She wasn't telling me all the truth. She was hiding something from me, almost everything, actually. I suddenly remembered our encounter in the woods the other night and the dagger she possessed and the magic it held. I wanted to ask about it, to ask that why she was so scared like a rabbit in front of the wolf's claws at the time, but stopped myself before I could. I was her guest, and she was the host. I shouldn't be inquisitive, and plus, I could see that she was being uncomfortable at the time, from the expression on her face and the drop of the temperature in the room. I suddenly felt a few snowflakes falling on the ground.

Elsa muttered a silent curse and dispersed all the snow, returning the normal state to the room immediately after she realised that she had begun to lose her control.

"I'm sorry. I got too caught up at the moment," she quietly apologised.

"Don't worry, I understand. Sometimes I would be the same if I lost my temper," I replied.

She nodded and bit her lip, taking a quick glance at the clothes she'd laid out on the bed before darting her eyes all over my body, eyes telling me something that I couldn't fathom. I raised an eyebrow at her gesture. She kept staring at me. What was she trying to tell me?

"What?" I asked.

"Aren't you planning to get out of those clothes? I don't think that you can be comfortable wearing dirty clothes for days, no offense," she replied.

I stared at her with wide eyes, shocked.

"What?" she asked, confusing by the look I was giving her. Then she gasped, her eyes widening and darting over from me to the entrance of the room, cheeks reddening in embarrassment, quickly rose from the bed. "Oh, damn it! Oh... shit! God, I-I'm so sorry… … I'd better leave you here alone. I… I gotta go. I have to go... Excuse me," she stammered and bolted out of the room, keeping her head low to hide the embarrassing and awkward redness increasing in her cheeks, slamming the door shut behind her.

I watched as she went and chuckled lightly, shaking my head as I walked toward the bed. I could never forget her awkwardness and embarrassment earlier. I couldn't imagine that a frigid and stoic woman as her, a queen would act like that, _ever_. Every time I met her, I saw another person of her. It would seem that she had more than just her cover as the stoic monarch of Arendelle.

_This woman is really something, isn't she? What more is hidden under that icy cover of you, Elsa? Because I'm curious to know who you truly are. _I thought.

* * *

Once I had freshened myself up and put on the clean clothes, I decided that I should check on Emma and see how she was doing. The clothes Elsa gave me fit my body perfectly. I soon found myself standing in front of Emma's door, knocking on it three times. There was no response. I called out for her but failed. When I peered into the room, there was no one in there. I wondered where she had gone. So I went searching for her and stopped at the kitchen door as I heard her talking cheerily inside. I stood at the door and peered into the room. Emma was sitting at the dining table, wearing a lavender shirt, teal jacket, dark blue skirt and dark brown boots to keep her feet warm. Her hair was combed and braided neatly into a single braid behind her back. Her eyes were keenly watching Elsa cooking on the other side of the room. I was surprised to see her… doing the housework. I first thought I'd lost my minds but I hadn't. I kept standing at the doorway, eyes wide and mouth agape.

Emma turned toward me and grinned. "Hey, there you are, Mathias," she said merrily.

"Hey, Emma, you look great," I commented, entering the room.

"Thanks. You don't look bad yourself," she replied, grinning. I smiled softly to her. My eyes moved over to Elsa and found her staring at me.

"You look good in those clothes," she said softly. I smiled.

"I didn't see you as one for cooking," I said, looking over to the boiling pot in the stove, inhaling deeply the appetising smell of the food cooking it.

"Well, I'm royalty doesn't mean I'm not able to do what other people can, and when you're out of the castle and living amongst your people, you have to fit in with the situation," she replied. "I hope you like potato stew. I'm sorry that we don't have meat today. The hunters haven't returned yet."

"That's fine to me. I'm not a picky eater, though I can't say the same about the little lass over here," I pointed at Emma. She snorted and waved her hand.

"Nah, I'm cool," she rolled her eyes, grinning. "You have to worry nothing about me, Mat. I'm perfectly fine." Her stomach suddenly growled. "Except for the fact that I'm starving," she quickly added.

"Be patient, Emma, lunch will be ready shortly," Elsa said reassuringly.

We suddenly heard the main entrance of the house being swung open and someone rushed toward the direction of the kitchen. Then a little boy about the age of six or seven with strawberry blonde hair burst into the room.

"Aunt Elsa! Aunt Elsa!" he exclaimed, running toward Elsa and ran into her arms. Taken in surprise, she almost stumbled backward but managed to keep her balance.

"Hello Ander," Elsa said between laughs. She hoisted the boy up and pressed a soft kiss on his cheeks, causing a giggle to escape his lips.

"Elsa! Oh, Elsa!" another voice came. Elsa gently placed Ander on the ground.

All of a sudden, a small, white figure rushed into the room and ran over to Elsa, wrapping its arms around her legs. She giggled and bent down to hug it.

"Hey, little buddy," she grinned. It pulled out from her embrace.

"Don't ever do that to me, you hear that, Elsa? You gave me a heart attack when Kristoff told me you were missing. A snowman's heart can't stand that much, you know… Wait, do I have a heart?"

"No, Olaf, you don't."

My jaw dropped. I had got to be insane. There was a living snowman standing in front of me. I blinked a few times but he wasn't gone and still there.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" I asked Emma, who was standing beside me, quietly. She nodded in return, speechless.

"It's a… living snowman," I said. _Really, Mathias, is that what you got?_ Olaf turned toward me and grinned, extendinghis arms.

"Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs," he exclaimed merrily. Emma and I stared at him in awe. There was a living snowman in front of me, waiting for me to respond and give him a warm hug – what he liked, which was unatural for every snowman, in fact, snowmen weren't supposed to live! Should I scream and kick his head out?

"That's Cousin Olaf. He's good. He doesn't bite," Ander said, nodding in approvement and grinning broadly. Cousin… So he must have been created by Elsa. Was her magic so powerful that she could create living beings by ice and snow? This was extraodinary and incredible…

"Olaf is one of my creations," Elsa said with a smile, kneeling beside the snowman and placing a hand on his back then looked up at us. "Olaf, Ander, these are our guests, Mathias and Emma. They're going to stay with us for a while."

"Hello," he said, waving to us.

"Um… Hi?" Emma said nervously.

Elsa chuckled lightly and stood up. "You four can get to know each other while I finish cooking, alright? Olaf, Ander, remember our deal." Then she turned around and proceeded what she was doing. _What deal?_ Unfortunately, my unlucky self had to sit and listen to the snowman's ramblings about summer. How interesting and… odd to see a snowman love heat and summer. Every time he said something unatural I glanced over at Elsa with confusing and questioning eyes, asking myself how could a serious and stoic woman as her could possibly create a so childish and innocent creature as Olaf. But I shouldn't have judged her so quickly, I barely knew her. But I admire what her power could do. I couldn't imagine how she could bring him to life. I wondered if it took much effort to do it, and what else she was capable of.

After a few minutes, another person entered the room. It was a round middle-aged woman with dark brown hair, wearing a brown shirt, dark teal jacket, green skirt. She gasped and brought her hands to her mouth, tears filling up her eyes as they lay upon Elsa.

"Oh, Elsa," she sobbed, rushing toward the younger woman and enveloping her in a crushing hug. The little boy named Ander standing beside her grinned at the sight of two women. Gerda broke away after a few moments and cupped the sides of the queen's face in her hands. "Oh, my dear girl… Where have you been for the last three days, lass? I was worried _sick_ about you… Are you alright? Are you hurt? If something happened to you…"

"Gerda," Elsa interrupted, "I'm alright. I'm back now. Nothing happened to me."

"Oh, thank goodness," Gerda whispered, pulling Elsa into a loving embrace again. I saw Elsa smiled and returned the hug, but pulled away as she remembered something and turned toward me, causing Gerda to look at me, and she gasped in surprise. "Oh my God…" A joyful grin crossed her face.

"Gerda, they're Mathias and Emma. They, uh, come from a place far from here… a lot… They'll be staying with us for a while," Elsa said and resumed cooking lunch again, not sparing a glance at us as she said. Gerda's smile dropped.

"Oh," she said, a little disappointed. "I thought…"

"Gerda, where is Kristoff?" Elsa interrupted.

"He's feeding Steven at the time," Gerda replied.

"His name is Sven, Gerda. How many times do we have to remind you about that?"

"I don't know, Elsa. My mind is getting old with this body. Do you need any help with that? Hey, be careful, lass, you're going to get burnt," Gerda warned.

To my surprise, Elsa rolled her eyes and removed the pot from the hot coal with her bare hands. She didn't get burnt? A grunt escaped her mouth as she lifted it to take it to the dining table. She seemed to be having trouble with lifting it up. I approached her and took the pot from her arms, feeling the heat of it through my skin and it was merely more than warm. I carried it half-way across the small room and placed the pot in the center of the table.

"Thanks," Elsa said quietly, smiling shyly to me and pulled a platinum strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You're welcome," I nodded.

She gave me a last glance then turned to help Emma and Gerda setting the table.

"Well, something smells nice," Kristoff said, entering the room. We all turned to him. He approached us with a broad grin on his face. Ander hopped out of his seat and ran toward him.

"Papa," he exclaimed.

"Hey, little guy," Kristoff said, picking his son up into his arms then darted his eyes toward us.

"Done feeding your reindeer Stephan?" asked Gerda.

"First of all, he's Sven. Secondly, yes. And thirdly, what do we have today for lunch?" he said settling Ander down on a chair.

"Potato stew," replied Elsa as she set the last plate on the table and settled down along with the rest of us.

"So, what are we waiting for? C'mon, let's dig in," Kristoff said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

**A/N: Hello, my beloved readers! Well, after a long week, I finally managed to post this chapter. It is the longest one of this story so far. At first, I have cut a snippet from Chapter 2 and intended to place it in this chapter but eventually, it doesn't seem to fit the story, so I've made some edits to the second chapter. Please have a look at it again, would you? Because some details in that snippet are quite important. Thank you all very much.**

**So, here you are my lovely readers – the next chapter. I hope there aren't too many mistakes in this one. For now, enjoy your reading, my friends. Reviews for the story are highly appreciated. Have a good day – or the rest of the day.**

**Phuong**

* * *

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes!"

"I mean, are you really, definitely, _absolutely_ certain, of travelling across the country, all alone, with a complete stranger? Sure, Sven and I can take him there for you and you can stay here. You've been gone for three days and now you're leaving again? You can't just leave me and Gerda in charge here forever. You're the queen, for God's sake! The people need you here, Elsa. What if something happens to you? Can you seriously trust this man? What if he's one of Hayden's tricks? What if it's a trap Hans set up for you? I can't permit that. Anna is going to _kill_ me if I do."

"Kristoff," Elsa said softly, whirling around to face her brother-in-law. "I'll be fine. Though I don't like it, Roff is coming with us, so stop worrying. And besides, Ander needs you here with him, as much as possible, Kristoff. He needs _you_, not me. You need to focus more than your own son. His mother isn't here. Aside from you, who else can he count on at this time? This is the time he needs his father most, not his aunt. Be with him, so you won't have to regret afterward that you weren't a good enough father and didn't try your best to be by his side."

Kristoff stayed silent, drawing a deep sigh, nodding in agreement, though his eyes said otherwise. He still wanted to make his stubborn sister-in-law to stay at the village for her own safety, but she wasn't one to argue with when she'd determined to do something, despite the whatever people tried to reason with her and the consequences of her actions, and he always put his son above all, so the prince decided it was wisest and best to shut up and let the queen do whatever she willed to. She was the queen after all, wasn't she? Once she was determined about something, nothing and no one could stand in her way. Gerda had tried to persuade her not to go, but she stated that she needed to and stood grounds. She did have a strong will, I have to admit. I think that I started to grow fond of her.

Queen Elsa was an extremely kind and generous woman, but she was no fool to let two complete strangers out of her sight and roam her barracks. So Emma and I had to stay put in the house and weren't allowed to step a foot outside even for a single second. Elsa said people had had enough stresses and tragic news from Arendelle recently, so we'd better keep silence; no one must know about me and Emma until we'd got answers from her friends in the West. I still had no clue about who we were seeing, but I'd heard that they were Kristoff's family and they were quite… weird. Well, I had no comment for that. It was obvious that a man whose best friend was a reindeer grew up in an unusual environment. We would have about a three-day-journey ahead of us with a Captain Roff who didn't seem to be quite fond of me. That made our journey even longer. And we were travelling by horses! Frankly, I was never fond of horses. Sure, I knew how to ride them, Edgar taught me, but I was never good at horse-riding.

I was standing in front of the hearth of the living room, staring at the fire in it. Would these people be able to help us? Could Emma and I ever get back or forever stuck in history?

"Mathias?"

I startled and turned around to see Emma walking toward me, hand clasped behind her. I relaxed and gave her a small smile. She was still in her nightgown and hair was in a fuzzy mess, drowsiness still lingering on her eyes.

"Good morning, Emma," I said. "Sleep well?"

She nodded and darted her eyes over me then back to my eyes, frowning. "You're leaving now?"

"Yes, I think so," I replied. She nodded slowly, biting her bottom lip.

"Do you have to go?" she asked after a long pause. I sighed and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You'll be fine here, Emma. I'll only be gone for about three days. I'll be back before you know."

"Do you think they can help us?"

I paused for a few moments, sighing heavily. Honestly, I didn't know if the people in the West could be able to help us. I was full with hope, but at the same time I was desperate. We were stuck in history, two hundred years back in history, in a country that didn't even exist. I didn't think there would be much chance for us to return to the future. I was sent here in purpose, it could be a mistake, but if it wasn't, I was certain that I wouldn't be able to return until my time had come for me to go back. But Emma, her being here was an accident, was something happened unintentionally. She was dragged into the portal with me. Marcus didn't force her in as he did with me. Her place was in the future, and I had to get her back there. But at the moment, we were strangers lost in a strange land, had no knowledge about the geography of this non-existent country and the people there. We didn't know where we could search for help. Now someone had offered us help and we had to reluctantly take it. I had talked to Elsa the last night, she'd asked the people around, no one knew anything about this, and she said perhaps her friends in the West were my and Emma's last hope.

"I hope so, Emma," I said.

Emma couldn't hold off anymore. She broke into quiet sobs and clung onto me, arms snaking around my waist, forehead pressing into my stomach, tears streaming in long silvery lines down her cheeks, chin and neck. The girl was scared. She was afraid that she could never go home, that she could never see her father again. Her father was all she had, he was her world and she loved him more than life itself. She missed him and was desperate to go home, to go back to her father. I pulled her close to me and stroked her back and hair gently to soothe her. I wanted to say something, to comfort and reassure her, to tell her that everything would turn out fine, and that I would do anything in my power to bring us home, that she _would_ see her father again, but I didn't know what to say or how to say what I needed to say. I was completely lacked of words at the moment. All I could do to reassure her was to hold her close to me as she let her emotions take control.

I let go of Emma and leaned back, cupping the sides of her face in my hands, wiping away her tears with my thumb. She whimpered, burying her face in her hands.

"Shhh," I hushed her softly, lifting her face and looking into her emerald eyes. "Emma, listen. I don't know if these people can help us or not, but I'll find a way to bring us both home. I'll do everything I can to get you back to your dad. Please don't cry, Emma. I know you're scared. I'm scared, too. But there has to be a way to get us back and I will find it. I promise you, Emma. I promise…"

She nodded, forcing a small smile on her lips and hugged me tight. "Be careful, would you? And come back soon," she whispered. I smiled tenderly and hugged her tight, pressing a soft kiss atop her head.

Minds recently preoccupied, both of us were unaware of a keen pair of eyes laying on us. Elsa had been standing at the doorstep all the time, hand rested on the door frame, watching us with a small smile on her lips and a pair of blue eyes with deep sadness written in them. Only by a soft clear of her throat did we become aware of her presence. Emma and I broke away from our embrace and turned toward her. Elsa was wearing a white shirt, brown waistcoat and black pants, leather boots and her black cloak, sword hanging at her belt. She looked exactly like how I met her for the first time in my dreams.

"I can see that you've said your goodbye. Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied quietly, unable to remove my eyes from her.

"You should probably get to the stable. Roff has already arrived. I'll be there shortly. We'll get going in a few minutes," she said. I nodded and looked down at Emma. She squeezed my hand lightly and titled her head toward the door, motioning me to go. I let go of her hand, giving her one last smile before making my way toward the stable.

Elsa watched me go and drew a deep sigh as I was out of sight. She then slowly turned toward Emma. She gave the girl a soft smile and walked toward her.

"Don't worry, Emma. We'll bring you two back home," she said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm sure these people in the West know something about this. Maybe they will be able to bring you two back home. You'll be with your father soon. Mathias will only be gone for about three days. I promise I'll return him to you in one piece."

"Thank you, Elsa," Emma replied, a smile crossing her face, though her eyes said otherwise.

"You're welcome," the queen gave her a smile. "Remember this, Emma. Fear is your greatest enemy, and love is your greatest ally." Emma smiled broadly, nodding in approval. Elsa took her hand in hers and led her inside.

* * *

I walked into the stable to find Captain Roff talking to Kristoff. The captain was completely dressed in black travelling clothes, sword hanging at his belt, while Kristoff – on the other hand – was dressing in more casual and sensible clothes, since he wouldn't be joining us in this trip. Acknowledging my presence, the prince bid the captain goodbye and walked toward me with a scowl, which confused me a little. Then all of a sudden, he grabbed my collar, taking me by surprise, and yanked me toward him, causing a gasp to escape my lips. It happened so fast that I didn't even have time to turn my hand.

"Listen carefully here, Fireman," he hissed, glaring at me. "I don't trust you, you and your little friend over there. You suddenly appear from nowhere and claim that you're from the future. Elsa can trust you. But I'm not buying it. What kind of game are you playing, Mathias? What is that you're trying to get?"

"I'm not sure I follow…" I frowned.

"Elsa is very much like a sister to me," he gritted his teeth. "Were she not _damn_ stubborn and not my queen, I'd force her to stay here and I, myself, would _personally_ drag you to the Rock Valley so my family can kick you back to the hole where you crawled out from. But, unfortunately, reality is a cruel thing. So let me tell you this, _Fire-man_," he drew me closer, "Too much has happened to Elsa recently. The war and all… they have changed her. For a whole year, I've never seen her being really happy again, even just for a second. For a whole year, I've watched her suffering, being beset and haunted with cares and grief and sorrow. She has to carry too much burdens. She has suffered enough. If you ever, _ever_, do _anything_ to hurt her, I swear to God, Mathias, I _will_ kill you. You _will_ pay if she's hurt in any way."

Kristoff scowled at me and shoved me backward. Had I not managed to grab the stable door frame to steady myself, I would have stumbled on the ground.

"You don't know me. I won't do any harm to her," I defended myself, glaring at him.

"Aye, I don't know you. That's the problem. Bring Elsa back safe and sound and I will consider sparing you," he snarled and stormed out of the stable. Well, what an interesting way to begin a new day. Wonderful! How could this day possibly be better?

I sighed heavily and turned toward the captain, who was standing in the middle of the stable, looking at me, frowning.

"I may not be as harsh as Prince Kristoff, but it doesn't mean I'm any easier than him, Fire-slave. I'll be watching over you. If you mean any harm to the queen, you know the consequence, and I won't be as gentle as the prince, especially when it comes to Queen Elsa, I won't," he scowled. I swallowed hard as I saw him tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. Kristoff could be exaggerating a bit, but Captain Roff wasn't lying. Every word he said, he meant it, and he would be watching me like a hawk throughout the whole journey. "You'll be taking Joey, Fire-slave. He's the brown one with white spots over there," he pointed at the horse

"I have a name, I glared at him.

"Yes, I know you do, _Fire-slave_," he replied coldly.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to Joey, placing a hand on his brown neck. "Hey, buddy," I said, "Looks like I'm stuck with you, huh."

"I can see that you two are getting along quite well."

I turned around to see Elsa walking toward us with a smile. I noticed that she was wearing a pair of fingerless gloves as she stroked the horse's neck. A string of laughter escaped her lips as the horse teasingly slid its tongue on the smooth skin of her face and she patted the beast's neck gently. But as she laughed, I suddenly realised what Kristoff meant when he was saying earlier. The smile on her lips was drawn with a perfect happiness, but the happiness written in her eyes were somehow… incomplete, partly untrue. The scars from the past were too deep that they were embedded into her mind and soul. Something terrible had happened to her. It was carved into her heart, and every time she was reminded of it, her heart ached as though someone had pierced it into thousands of pieces. But what had happened to be exact, I had no idea. I wondered what had happened to her, what could have possibly happened that it changed her, taking away a part of her, that she could never find the true peace in her again. I watched as this woman caressing the animal. Even when she was smiling, I could still see somewhere deep in her soul laid a deep sorrow and burdens of the past.

I was lost in deep thoughts that not until I felt the cold skin of her hand against mine did I turn back ground to see Elsa sliding my hands into a pair of black leather gloves. I frowned and stared at my gloved hands. It had been a long time since I had worn gloves, since I had promised to my brother that I wouldn't try to conceal my power anymore.

Seeing my unspoken questions, Elsa smiled and wrapped her hands around mine. "The dark sorcerer might be able sense our power if we use them. So we'd best not take any risk," she explained. "The gloves will help." Elsa released my hand and handed me her dagger. "Take this. We don't know what is expecting us I the woods."

"No, I can't. It's your dagger…"

"I have my sword, Mathias. You're unarmed. Take this, though I hope that we won't have to touch our weapons. It's the queen's order," she insisted. Sighing, I took it from her hands and secured it at my hip.

"And could you two tell me who exactly we're seeing?"

"I think it'd be best if it remains secret."

Elsa smiled to me and turned toward Roff.

"Captain, is everything ready?" she asked.

"Yes, Majesty," he nodded.

"Good," she nodded, attempting to turn away from him before he interrupted.

"Queen Elsa, you don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do."

"No. You shouldn't do this. It's too dangerous. You can get yourself killed out there. Five months ago, we thought we would lose you. You've just returned from the jaws of death. Don't risk your life again, Elsa. Listen to me. Stay here. Stay at home."

"This isn't home, Roff! This isn't home. My home, your home, _our_ home, is taken. This place isn't home. And don't you dare tell me what to do and what not to do again. I'm the queen and a grown woman. You're just a commoner, Roff. You have no right to tell me what to do. I have the authority here, not you."

"Elsa," I said softly, "I think he's right…"

"Stay out of this, Mathias," she snapped and turned her attention back to the captain, taking two steps forward. "Have you forgotten who I am, what power I possess? I'm not merely the queen of Arendelle. I'm not without protection. I'm not defenseless."

"I'm not asking you to stay as your Guard Captain, Elsa. I'm asking you as a family."

"Oh, so now we're family once again?" Elsa snorted, her eyes filled with anger. I could feel the temperature in the stable taking a massive dive, cold breeze swirling around Elsa. Had she not been wearing her gloves, her power would have outburst in her anger. "I thought you gave up all the people who loved you dearly since fifteen years ago. No, you're not my family anymore, Roff. Now, you're just a commoner and I'm your queen, your superior. You'd better shut up or you'll be the one to stay here, _Captain_. I want to go on this trip and I will go. Nothing and no one is standing in my way. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Majesty," the captain hung his head in defeat, sighing heavily. Elsa whirled around sharply to face me, eyes glaring daggers at me.

"And you," she snarled. "Remember that you're supposed to be my prisoner, Mathias. Intruding our land is one thing, attacking my men is unacceptable. I've been extremely kind to you and let you stay with me and my family. I let you be with Emma because I know she needs you. Were it not for Emma, I don't think I would ever allow you to step out of our barracks for my people's sakes. You owe me a very great deal. So you'd best to always remember your place, Son of Fire."

I swallowed hard. Standing before me was no longer Elsa, but the cold and stoic monarch of Arendelle. She was furious. I could see that she wasn't the one to upset or anger.

"Now, gentlemen, I believe that we don't have much time to waste. Let's move out."

* * *

None of us spoke a word to one another throughout the whole journey. A tense atmosphere and a dreadful silence enveloped us, chilling me to the core of my bones. Elsa's face was nothing but frigid, brows furrowed as though they were knit together and eyes directed toward with a daggers look, her grip on the horse's rein tightened until her knuckles had turned white, her jaws clenched tight. I noticed the rein where she held it was lightly frosted. Roff didn't seem any better than her. Both of them wore tense and uneasiness on their faces, which made our journey no less stressful.

The woods were as deep and thick as I remembered. Hardly did a stream of light manage to go through the narrowed gaps between the leaves to touch the ground, yet we moved in the dark with great speed, riding through the thick forest as quick as a wind. Time slipped without me noticing. Until I'd realised, the sun had begun crawling lazily back into the mountains of the West, so that it could gather enough strength for another day of blessing the world with its golden glory, and let the moon guard the night sky.

We stopped on a mountain's side. Elsa dismounted her horse and slowly made her way toward the edge of the cliff, her gaze fixed upon a distance in the South. I followed her gaze and sought an isolated kingdom near the coast, belaying under the mountains, enveloped by the glorious lavender and pink lights of the sunset yet seemed so dark and deadly. Although I could see plenty of ships coming in and out the harbour in a great number, showing that it was possibly a prosperous kingdom, but to me, it was the sight of a falling kingdom.

"Arendelle," Elsa whispered. "What have they done to you?"

She stood silently, her hands clenched into tight fists, eyes never leaving the sight of her kingdom. Belay under the mountain range, facing the open sea was her home, was what had once been her kingdom, looking like nothing but a dead place. Kristoff had told me that Elsa was the greatest queen Arendelle had ever had. Arendelle must have been a prosperous and powerful kingdom, full of light and life. But the sight I was observing at the moment perhaps was the invaders' doings. Though her back was facing me, I could tell that she was heartbroken to see everything she'd worked hard to build was now nothing but the ashes of the kingdom's golden age. And it must have pained her more to know that her home – _their_ home – was now a wall that parted her from her younger sister, who was very dear to her.

Elsa then whirled around, turning away from the horrible sight of what had used to be the kingdom she'd spent too much of work to build, not daring to spare a glance at it anymore.

"The North Mountain is not far from here. We'll be there within a few minutes," she said, eyes downcast, and silently mounted her horse. Roff and I could only manage to nod in respond and we moved out. But before Arendelle had gone out of sight, I saw the queen glancing back at her kingdom and drew a heavy sigh.

* * *

"Oh my God," I repeated for a hundred times, mouth still hanging open in astonishments.

In front of me was a staircase across the chasm, leading us directly to a magnificent, glorious and beautiful castle completely made of pure and solid _ice_, standing firmly on the side of the North Mountain, bathing in the resplendent orange and pink lights of the sunset. The ice sparkled in the sunlight, which made the castle look as if it was glowing.

I darted my admiring eyes all over the castle and dismounted my horse, starting walking toward the castle to take a closer look to it. Truly, this place was magnificent and amazing. Couldn't be able to keep my eyes from the castle, I had become unaware of the large pile of snow lying beside the staircase till I heard it slightly shifted.

The pile of snow rose from the ground and turned into a giant snowman with ice spikes covering its arms and legs. One of his hands was chopped out from his arm, by a blade, I assumed. I gasped and backed up from him as he roared at me. The monster raised his spiky hand upon me and I would have removed the gloves covering my hand and attacked it with my powers had I not heard a familiar voice ringing in the air. It was quiet and quivering but enough to shatter the space around us.

"Marshmallow?" Elsa said, stepping forward, her body trembling in happiness and astonishment.

"_Creator_", the monster said and knelt down in front of her, bowing his head to greet her. Elsa broke into a laugh, a broad grin crossing her face. She rushed toward the snow monster and fell into his arms, hugging it as much tightly as her small arms could do with his gigantic body. Marshmallow smiled – or at least I thought so – and hugged the queen back. For a moment that seemed to be eternity for the two, they stood silent in each other's embrace.

* * *

I walked along the cold hall of the castle, eyeing every delicate detail of the castle. I couldn't believe she had singlehandedly created this place. It was incredible. The ice castle was flawless. Every single detail, every column, every inch of this castle was made out of ice. This was impossible for anyone to do this, but yet it was right in front of me. This was _real_. And there was no doubt about it.

The night had fallen upon Arendelle. Moon had risen from the mountain. As its light touched the ice castle, the place shimmered like silver in the dark night. It was late and dark but I couldn't find the urge to sleep. I had a feeling that I needed to let my feet roam freely, exploring this extraordinary place. You don't see an _ice castle_ every day, am I right?

I didn't know what brought me to the balcony but when I was there, I wasn't alone as I first thought.

"You are very light on your feet, you know that?" Elsa said, still not turning around to see me, leaning on her bare hands on the handrail. Her hair was flowing down her back in cascading waves, looking as if it was pure white in the shimmering moonlight, lightly fluttered as a cold breeze brushed against us.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that," I said and stood there like an idiot.

"Don't be afraid to approach, Mathias. I don't bite, if that's what you fear," Elsa said. I chuckled and came stood beside her, hands clasping behind my back. Indeed, it was a beautiful night, quiet and full of wind and moonlight. It would be such a shame to waste the view.

"What are you doing here at this late hour? It's already passed midnight. You should save some strength for the day," she said, glancing at me.

"I want to explore this magnificent place of yours. I don't get to see things like this every day of my life," I admitted. "Besides, I can't find the urge to sleep tonight."

"Neither do I," she smirked and looked down, looking at the giant guardian of the castle, who was sitting still beside the staircase, staring at the bright moon shining upon the sky. Elsa had restored his hand to him. Now, he was perfect. She sighed, the corners of her lips slightly curled into a faint smile.

"It has been quite a long time since I've last seen him," she said. "He's still the same, still the Marshmallow I've created, except for his missing hand. I've missed him so much. Believe it or not, Mathias, he is a part of me that I adore, as much as Olaf."

I frowned, suddenly realised something.

"Is it why you came on this trip?"

"It's one of the reasons why I came with you two. I've missed him so much. And I know that he's missed me. He is a very dear friend to me. Besides, he is my creation, practically a part of me. Therefore there is connection between us. I haven't seen him for more than a year now and that bothered me."

"What happened?"

"I was… busy. Then… there came the war… I was terribly injured. It took me almost six months to recover. After that… I have other matters to attend to… and I just can't come here… I thought that it might bring back painful memories. But when I realised that I've abandoned my most trusted guard and also my dear friend, I decided to come. And I'm glad that I've made that decision. I'm blissful to see him again."

"He does look very happy to see you."

"He's very much like a family to me. To me, family is above all. Cherish every moment you have with your family, Mathias. You never know the last moment you have with them. Make every second with your loved ones count, so you don't have to regret afterward. I've never spent enough time for my parents, never said I love them enough. Now I would never get a chance to say those precious three words to the ones had given me life and raised me, taught we the rights and wrongs ever again. But, the past is in the past. We can't change them. People make mistakes. We fall on our steps, but we only fall so we can get up and learn from our falls."

I looked at her and studied her carefully. Every word she spoke, she spoke with the wisdom beyond her years that she had learned and acquired from the experience she'd faced in her life, which showed me the brilliant intelligence in her. Every word she spoke, she spoke it with all the sincerity of her heart, showing that this woman possessed a loving and warm heart, not a cold and emotionless heart as everyone expect a Snow Queen to bear. I could see in her eyes that she was speaking by all the meanings that came from deep inside her heart. Though her kingdom had been taken, and she no longer had the throne, she never forgot who she really was; she always kept her head high and proud to remind herself and everyone else that she had been and would always be their queen till the day she no longer belonged to this world. Kristoff wasn't exaggerating at all when he spoke of this woman. She truly was a gem.

But there was something that kept bugging me. Why would she treat Roff in such a way when he was her family, if family was so important to her that she was so willing to give up everything, including herself for them? What could he had possibly done that had made her hate him so much that she no longer called him a member of her family? What had happened between them, I didn't know. I wanted to ask her. But I knew it would be best that I keep my mouth shut about this, because I had a feeling that it wouldn't be a great story to tell.

I watched as Elsa fixed the gaze upon the Northern Lights on the sky and sighed, a faint smile crossing her face, cerulean eyes glinting like diamonds in the moonlight.

"The sky's awake," she whispered.

"What?"

"The sky is awake," she repeated, this time a bit louder so I could hear it. "Anna used to say it. I don't think she would ever grow up. She would always be a child even when she's old and grey. That's the spirit in her and I love it."

"You miss her very much, don't you?" I asked.

"Every day," she sighed heavily.

"What happened?" I asked after a long pregnant silence between us.

"I couldn't protect her," she said, clenching her fists. "I couldn't protect them. I couldn't even protect myself at the time. Then they came… They got me, they got Anna… Our force… we lost too many men. I watched helplessly as my men fell for their kingdom, their rulers, one by one. They were so loyal to us, such loyal and courageous men. I can't ask for more of them. They were forced to surrender to keep my and Anna's lives. Marcus and Roff came to rescue us, to bring us to the West. But only two of us made it back. Anna is still there, being the prisoner of _her own home_." She tightened her grip on the railing of the balcony, jaws clenched tight. Her blood boiled in anger. A sudden wave of coldness washed over us and swirled around her.

After a few moments, she managed to calm the wind but I could still see the storm of anger swirling inside her.

"How did you find out that she's alive?" I asked.

"I didn't," she said. "They could have raped her, tortured her to death, or simply ended her life in the easiest way; sliding a blade across her throat or piercing it into her torso. But she's alive, because I know Hans and Alfonse. They won't kill her because killing her is no use. If they killed her, we would take Arendelle back without any hesitance. But if they have her, we wouldn't dare to make the slightest move, for her sakes.

"I know she's alive and she's being held in Arendelle's castle. If she died, I would know it. Between siblings, there is always a strong and unbreakable connection. It ties us together. You'll understand me if you have a sibling."

"I understand. I, too, have a sibling – a brother, to be specific. His name is Edgar. He's two years older than me."

"Anna is three years younger than me. But she seems to be a whole decade younger than me. She's always so carefree and childish and I'm always the mature one," Elsa chuckled. "How old are you?"

"Thirty-two," I replied. "But not anymore until 21st July."

"Wait, your birthday is on 21st July?" she asked, wide eyes staring at me in astonishment.

"Yes, that's correct. Why?"

"Mine, too," she smiled. "I was born at midnight."

"Interesting," I grinned broadly. "I was born at midday. It would appear that we share the same birthday. How old are you?"

"Twenty-nine," she shrugged. "Regardless, I'm still older than you."

"Right," I chuckled lightly. Then my smile faded as I remembered that I was still in the past. Everything seemed so true to me, but at the same time there were still doubts in my mind. I still didn't believe that I was back in time and in a non-existent kingdom somewhere perhaps in another world. I was confused and desperate to get back. I have to admit that I was panicking; I managed only to keep my expression calm for Emma. I needed to be strong for her. The girl was confused and frightened. She didn't know what was really happening around her. She couldn't understand. I needed to get her home. I needed to get us both back to where we came from.

_How am I ever going to get home? Will we ever be able to return or forever remain here?_ The same questions continued to swirl in my mind. I was aware that the air surrounding us was getting warmer.

"Mathias!"

I startled and turned around to see Elsa looking up at me with eyes full of concern and a surprisingly comforting cold hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright? Is there something bothering you? Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"No, it's… I just…" I cleared my throat. "Do you think these people from the West could help us?"

Elsa opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself before she did. Her hand slid away from my shoulder. She stood silent for a long moment.

"Honestly, I don't know. But these people know a lot about magic. They must know something about this. They might be able to help," she replied. "Besides, if there is a way to bring you here, there must be some way or another to bring you and Emma back. Is there any help that you need, we'll be willing to offer."

"Thanks," I said.

"You're welcome, Mathias," she said and darted her eyes around. As her gaze fell upon the southern sky where her kingdom lay beneath, she sighed and looked at it with a heavy heart.

"It doesn't belong to your enemy, Elsa," I said after a long moment of silence, making her jump slightly. Confused, she frowned and turned to look at me. "Arendelle belongs to you," I continued. "You _are_ the queen, Elsa. Arendelle and the throne are _yours_. Someday, sooner or later, you _will_ be able to reclaim your kingdom and your crown – where you truly belong. You'll have your sister, your family by your side. Arendelle will have their fair and wise ruler back."

Elsa stared at me in the eyes, surprised with what I had said. But her gaze was soft and everything but cold and frigid. A smile – a real smile – tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, this was quite an effortful chapter to write, but I finally managed to post this. I had some trouble with the names and the dictionary was very useful in circumstances like this. I hope that I haven't made so many mistakes. Please get easy on me, would you? I'm new here and English isn't my first language.**

**Last week, when I saw the number of your reviews, I was completely disappointed. 13 reviews only? Guys, is it that hard for you to press the Review button and leave some words to show your opinion about my story? Honestly, do I have to beg for it? Come on, guys, I know you can do better than that.**

**In the future, if I have some time to spare, I'll make some edition in my previous chapters, just to correct the errors and polish the story.**

**I think I'd better shut up. Go ahead and enjoy the reading.**

**Oh, and don't forget,**

**Read & Review**

**Phuong**

"We'll walk from here," Elsa informed, dismounting her horse.

We had been riding from the break of dawn. It had been quite a pleasant journey, despite my uncomfortableness with horses, although I might say that Joey was not bad at all and he was a cute guy. And I noticed there were some regality, coldness and distance in Elsa's voice whenever she spoke to Roff. She'd admitted to me that to her family was the most important and I could see it in her eyes when she said it. I couldn't fathom or understand why or how she could have the heart to ignore and close the relationship between them, but took it wisest to keep silence, though the question kept swirling in my mind. But aside from those issues I've mentioned, I had enjoyed the journey, or at least my conversations with Elsa throughout the night had something to do with my mood. She was a very pleasant companion. There was still resistance in her as she talked to me, she didn't completely open up and talk freely to me, there were some subjects that she had carefully avoided, but at least I knew that she didn't shut me out.

The place where we were standing was dark and misty, surrounded by moss grown rocks that at least stood a few meters high. Even when it was past noon, the place seemed gloomy and sombre. I hardly saw a ray of sunlight touching the ground, or a single plant, a living creature in this place. Swallowing hard, I looked around only to see rocks, from the ground where I stood to the chasm, mostly everything was rock.

It would seem that the deeper we went the less gloomy the valley became, but it was still quite dark compared to the outside world. And I knew the reason why they named this place 'The Rock Valley' – almost everything was rock. Surrounding us were rocks lying scattered on the ground beneath the large blocks of rocks encircling the place. There was no sign showed that there were people –or any live – living in this dark place. There were no houses, no humans, no plants living here, just rocks and moss. There was something strange and suspicious here – I sensed something unnatural in the atmosphere, something I'd never seen or felt before.

Elsa stepped forward to the middle of the place and said something out loud in a strange language for me. I frowned and turned toward Roff, who was standing beside me.

"What is she saying?" I asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I don't speak trolls."

"Wait, what?"

The rocks suddenly moved slightly and rolled toward us, causing the ground to shake lightly. I gasped in surprise and backed up a few steps. Alarmed, I gripped the hilt of the dagger Elsa gave me tightly, fires building in me; the gloves were an irritating barrier but it did prevent my power from bursting out of me. Glancing at Roff, I only saw a smug smirk crossing his face.

The rocks turned into strange creatures with grey skin, large nose and ears. I stared at them with eyes widening in shock and amazement.

_Trolls?_ I thought.

"Look, everyone, Elsa's here!" one of the trolls exclaimed. They all cheered merrily. Frowning, I turned to Roff, who was standing by my side, and gave him a questioning look. He sighed and wiped his face with his right hand.

"Don't ask me, son," he said, rolling his eyes.

I stared at the trolls with widening eyes and mouth falling open in astonishment.

"Hello, everyone, it's been a long time," Elsa said to the trolls, smiling.

"Why didn't you come to visit us?" a young troll asked.

"We've missed you," another one said.

"Yeah," the others said in unison, nodding in agreement.

"It's been two years since you came. The last time we heard about you was fourteen months ago."

"I'm sorry, guys. I know it's been too long since I last visited. But I-I was… I-I have matters to attend to. I was kind of… busy," Elsa stammered awkwardly. She blushed slightly in embarrassment and forced a small smile, tucking a strand of her platinum hair behind her ear and biting her lip nervously. I noticed a small snort escaping Roff as he tried his best to hold off his laughter, which made me confused.

"Oh, yes," the female troll said. "Kristoff has told us about you. We're deeply sorry about your loss, Elsa. But don't worry, it'll pass eventually. You're a strong woman. We know you'll be able to get through it. But don't be afraid to open up again. Don't close yourself. Happiness always comes to those who have a good heart."

"Thank you, Bulda," Elsa said with a smile. She then glanced over her shoulder toward us and back to the trolls.

"Bulda, it's really good to see you all but I'm afraid we need your help. Where's Grand Pabbie?"

"He's napping," a male troll shrugged.

"Where are Kristoff and Ander?"

"Yeah, why didn't they come?"

_Trolls… I can't believe this. It doesn't make any sense. _I thought, shaking my head. _This can't be real._

"Oh my holy God, they're trolls!" I exclaimed. They all stopped talking and turned to me.

"Who's that?" a young troll asked.

"I'm Mathias," I replied.

"He looks familiar," another one said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"He smells like smoke and ash," a troll with extremely large nose said. I felt my cheeks reddening in embarrassment. That would be correct because it was one of the affections of my power. My mother said the same thing.

"And look, you brought Roff. Anna told us about the things between you and him. Thank goodness you two get along again. We thought you never would," a male troll said.

"Cliff, I…" Elsa retorted.

"You never brought anyone here with you beside Kristoff and Anna. Why did you come with these two?" Bulda interrupted her.

"Oh, right, the thing is…"

"Ah, we get it. I told you that you were exaggerating, Rocky," a troll nudged the troll name Rocky who was standing beside him. "We don't have to worry about Elsa being alone. She'll find someone in her life and find him she has. So tell me, dear Elsa, is he your boyfriend?"

"Wait, what?" both Elsa and I practically shouted in unison. "No!"

"No? Children, there's nothing to be embarrassed about it. Don't be afraid to admit. You don't have to wait until Arendelle is free to finally settle down. Say, he doesn't look bad, Elsa. How long have you two been together?" the troll said, winking.

"Enough!" Elsa shouted. "He is most definitely _not_ my boyfriend, Cliff! Enough with this nonsense, everyone! We're not a couple. We're hardly friends, regarding lovers!" The temperature suddenly dropped and the air turned freezing, frost spreading from Elsa's feet and covered the ground in an icy thin layer, cold and chilling wind howling in the air of the mountains. Elsa's face in a matter of a second turned from friendly and warm to frigid and angered. "I really appreciate your concern toward me, guys, but you have no right to interfere my personal life."

The trolls stood frozen, staring at her in awe and so did Roff and I. I had thought my father was the most bad-tempered person in the world but it would seem that I was so wrong.

Elsa looked around and bowed her head in guilt, ashamed of what she had done and quickly dispersed the magic she had accidentally unleashed in anger. The temperature started crawling up and the wind had calmed down then finally stopped. The trolls seemed to relax a little. I sighed in relief. But in the corner of my eyes, I noticed a frown written on the captain's face, brows knitted not in anger but in cares. Something was bothering him.

"Look," Elsa said, taking a deep breath. "I know that I haven't visited for a long time and I wish that I could stay a couple of days with you guys as I used to, but we didn't come here just to visit. There is a very important matter that I need to speak with Grand Pabbie right away. Could anyone please fetch him for us?"

"That wouldn't be necessary, my children," a voice said. The trolls all stepped aside and created a small path for their friend to pass. An old troll, older than every troll in this land and perhaps older than God himself, wearing a verdant cloak and green crystals around his neck, stepped forward.

"It has been far too long since we've met, my child," he said.

"Yes," Elsa replied, smiling softly. "So much has happened in the past few years that I, myself, couldn't even believe is true. So much has changed in our lives and our lands that we could never imagine it becoming real. So much pain and sorrow, Pabbie; that I don't think I could bear."

"Terrible things happen, Elsa. But with it, comes happiness."

"But in our lives, to achieve something, we always have to face with its price. Life is something very much like two sides of a coin, don't you agree with that?"

The old troll chuckled lightly. "I see that age has sharpened your mind, my child," he commented.

"And your wisdom has not yet faded with time," Elsa replied, her smile widening. "Hello, Grand Pabbie."

"Hello, Elsa," Grand Pabbie smiled. "You know, you have to keep that temper of yours in check, child. How can you not control yourself as you used to? You were very good at this."

"I'm sorry," Elsa sighed. "There were too much tresses recently. I can't control it anymore."

"Losing it will bring you no good, my child," Pabbie advised. "Anger will cloud your mind. Always be calm and collected, and your mind will be clear; then, you'll have control on everything. Remember that, Elsa."

"I shall, Pabbie," Elsa nodded. The troll smiled. His eyes suddenly lay on the captain.

"Ah, Roff, my friend, I'm surprised that the queen has allowed you to escort her to the Rock Valley this time. I take it as you've finally got along with each other again?" he asked. Elsa snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Unfortunately, the answer is no, Pabbie," Roff replied. "If we ever get along again, I will be blissful. But since Elsa isn't willing to, I can't do anything about it. This woman truly _is_ her father's daughter. It was a miracle that I did manage to tag along after her and her… guest this time and wasn't frozen into place until she returns."

"Moron," I heard Elsa muttering angrily under her breath. Since I was standing close on her right side, I could feel a breeze of cool air swirling around her in a short moment.

Pabbie sighed heavily and shook his head slowly in defeat. "You shouldn't be too stubborn, Elsa. You two are family, and families are meant to forgive each other. Nonetheless, it isn't my right to interfere. It's only my advice. Now, who is this young man here? I sense a great power in you that has equivalent strength to our queen's. You do seem very familiar. Have we met before?"

"I believe we have not, sir," I replied, shaking my head. "You must have mistaken, because we could never have met. My name is Mathias. A few nights ago, a friend of mine and I were transported to Arendelle through a magical portal. Now, according to Queen Elsa, apparently we are over two hundred years back in time, and perhaps in another world."

"What do you mean?" Pabbie narrowed his eyes.

"This, Pabbie," Elsa said, holding out the medal to the old troll, "is what has brought Mathias and Emma here, to Arendelle. Do you happen to recognise this object?"

Grand Pabbie took the medal from the queen's hand and examined it carefully, every detail, every word carved on it, but what had caught his attention most was the sapphire.

"The Forbidden Hallow," he whispered in a low and dark tone.

"Elsa," he said, looking up at the queen, "Do you know about the Forbidden Hallows of the ancient warlocks?"

"I think you might have mentioned it once or twice, but I don't remember much. My memory is quite blurry," Elsa replied.

"In the ancient times, there were five magical objects that held great powers – the Amulet, the Sceptre, the Ring, the Mirror and the Medal. No one knows who had created them, or since when they existed. The Amulet had the power to control darkness and shadows; it could also manipulate others' mind. The Sceptre was an object that could control and command the nature. The Ring could give or take power and life from someone. The Mirror could tell you what had happened in the past, what was happening at the present or would happen in the future. Also, it was a portal to help people travel through times, but only with the help of the Medal can the spell work. Without either of them, the spell cannot be fulfilled."

"So that means I have to find this mirror in order to get back to my right time?" I asked.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Do you know where it is?"

"Unfortunately, no, Mathias, I don't. No one does," he replied. "I'm afraid that only warlocks can use these hallows, Mathias. However, I believe there is still a warlock in this world. But, as a matter of fact, I think it's best for its whereabouts to remain unknown to the world."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Mathias. We all know that you and your friend are desperate to return to the future where you come from, but please, understand that once the location of the Mirror is revealed, the entire world is endangered, and there wouldn't be any furture – which means there are high chances that you won't even exist," Pabbie said. "These objects were very, very powerful, and great power could mean great danger. An evil warlock had used them in bad purpose and almost brought the world to destruction had the High Council of the Warlocks and even the trolls intervened. Seeing how dangerous it could be for mankind, the Council had decided that these magic must be forbidden and hidden, since these hallows were too powerful that it couldn't be destroyed. They had sealed the five hallows away separatedly in the darkest corners of the world where no one could find it, and yet someone had found it. Now the Mirror is the only hallow remaining hidden. The other three were now unlocked, two are now in an evil sorcerer's hand and one is under our protection, but there is no guarantee that it can be safe. The power the evil sorcerer possesses is beyond our imagination, and such power combined to these hallows, the consequence would be severe. Think about it and please understand, Mathias. The time of the warlocks had gone for two hundred years; no one has the power to lock these magics away now. All we can do is to protect these magic from evil's hand. If the five hallows fall into the wrong hand, it's not our world only is in grave danger. There is a man out there seeking for the Mirror with a desire to conquer the entire universe," the old troll paused for a brief moment, hesitating.

"If he succeeds, I'm afraid there will be no future for us… even one that has you and your friend in it."

I sat on a large rock, sighing heavily, my head in my hands.

_How am I going to tell Emma about this?_

"Are you alright?" a soft voice asked. I looked up to see Elsa standing in front of me with a concerned face. I hung my head and stayed silent, not knowing what to say. Elsa sighed and sat down beside me. We just sat there for a few moments in silent. I glanced up at her. Her eyes were distant and confusing. I could say that she was being torn between somehing, undecided.

Finally, Elsa let out a sigh and took out something from her pocket, holding it toward me. I looked at it and saw that it was a golden ring with a large red gem on it.

Seeing the confusion on my face, she explained quietly, "This is one of the Forbidden Hallows." I frowned. "This is the Conjuit Ring. Like Pabbie said, it is very dangerous. It nearly took away my life once."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said quickly and glanced away from me, crushing the ring in her clenched fist. A pained and angered expression glowed in her cerulean eyes.

"Listen," she said after a long pause, "I might never know how do you feel right now, but I can understand that no one wants to be torn away from their family. I understand the feeling that you know how to save someone you love but you can only stand and watch helplessly, I really do. But I'm afraid we cannot help you in this, Mathias. We cannot allow all the five hallows to be unlocked. I have seen what one hallow can do. This small ring, Mathias, it killed thousands of lives – including innocent lives. Hayden – the dark sorcerer of Weselton – he already has the Amulet and the Scepter. I managed to steal this ring from him. I have seen what one hallow can do. If one is so powerful, how much powerful can five hallows' powers combined be? Please, understand for us. Find a way to convince Emma. I'm very sorry that you two are stuck in the wrong time. Believe me, I have no intention of keeping you two here. But I cannot help you two in this. I'm sorry.

"I wish that there is another way to get you and Emma back to the future, but right now, we do not know whether there is any spell that can help people travel through time or not. And if there is, you're on your own in this. I can't help any further. I have duties to fulfill. I'm, still, the rightful queen of Arendelle. My people are suffering under an evil man's hand. But believe me or not, Mathias, you and Emma belong to the future, you don't and can never belong here. Someday, you'll be able to get home, to your right time. Because everything and everyone always returns to where they belong. I think some wise young man has said the same thing to me not very long ago."

She smiled softly at me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. I wanted to thank her, but somehow my mouth was having trouble with forming words. Though I knew that she couldn't help much and our situation was a little hopeless, Elsa's words had somehow eased the cares and worries that were weighing my mind.

_But how am I going to tell Emma about this?_

**A/N: Ugh, short chapter, I know. I'm sorry but I've just returned from my hometown and there was no Internet, hell, even no electricity there! It was Vietnam's Independence Day in September so I got a few days off and decided to visit my relatives in the north-east of the country. It was fun. But now I'm here. Though I still had to go to school this morning, I managed to finish this one in the afternoon, along with the third chapter of my other story. Let's hope that the next one will be longer. No promises, guys.**

**Anyway, I've posted my new story, **_**The Legacy of the Father**_**. Please check it out for me, would you? Thanks a lot.**

**Until next time, my friends**

**Remember to Read & Review**

**Phuong**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

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A/N: So, there will be a few gaps of time in the story. It can be for two reasons: one, I skip a few unecessary details that can be skipped and I don't know how to write; two, it's intentional. Why is it intentional? Well, if I tell you, what is the purpose of writing this story? Figure it out on your own, guys!

1534rosa, this chapter is not going to start the way you thought it would, sorry if I disappoint you. I don't think that I like _that_ kind of Mathias. I intend to save that for someone else, actually. Besides, I don't think people with the same career as him act like that.

* * *

It had been two months since our visit to the trolls. Emma took the news quite badly. It took her a week to start to get over it. Eventually, I wasn't the one who helped her and consoled her most. To our surprise, it was Elsa who had comforted the young girl. She had stayed by Emma's side until her grief had calmed down, was gentle and caring like… a mother.

I had asked Elsa to find me a job to do in their village. I didn't want to be a leisured and useless one; Elsa, her family and her people had accepted me and Emma and offered us supplies and shelter, there must be some way for me to repay them.

"You can't be serious, Majesty. This lad can't become one of the guards. Look at him! He is definitely _not _a soldier. How is he supposed to defend you, our people and our village?" Roff said as Elsa had asked him to find me a position in the village's watch. I agreed; he had a point. I'm a writer, not a fighter. I hadn't touched a weapon or taken part in combat for… more than a decade. Unlike my brother Edgar, I didn't get a chance to experience the fierce of a battle, and didn't continue after the war ended. Battles weren't my place.

"Then it's your job to train him," Elsa insisted. "You taught me well. He has powers like me, only not ice, fire. That doesn't make a difference."

"But-" he retorted.

"Queen's order, Captain Roff," Elsa said with a playful smirk, "Queen's order."

"Brat," Roff mumbled.

"Careful with what you say, Captain," Elsa warned, "For you are speaking to the Snow Queen. And I think someone has told me before that I take after you at that." Roff rolled his eyes, letting out a snort. Now when they were standing close to each other, I could see the similarities in their looks. They had similar noses, brows, ears, and foreheads. And there was one thing for sure – they were both strict and extremely stubborn people. I had come to realise that through the times I spent with them. Roff was very hard to me in training. I usually got scowls and shouts from him, and especially an irritated arch of his brow whenever I did something that upset him, very much like Elsa when she was annoyed or angered.

I had always wondered about the relationship between Elsa and Roff and how it shattered, and had asked Roff about it once in one of our training sessions, because I knew Elsa wouldn't reveal a single clue to me.

"Well, you can see that she has some of my feature. It's quite obvious. Many people can. And yes, I am, or had been, her family. Her father, the late King Adgar of Arendelle, was my older brother," he said. "Elsa and I used to be very close like father and daughter when she was little. Oh how I love that girl. Truth to be told, Mathias, training you is a lot easier and a lot less annoying and stressful than training that little brat," he chuckled. I found it strange to hear him calling her 'girl' and 'little brat' when she was obviously a fully grown and experienced woman. "Sure, she can be _damn_ stubborn, very bad-tempered and even bloodthirsty at sometimes – the war had done terrible things to her that no one could have ever imagined – but there are always kindness and love in her. I miss teasing her and calling her my niece. But those old days are gone."

"What happened?" I asked.

Roff hesitated for a moment. "Well, let's just say that for a moment of my life, I was blind and had done a horrible thing," he replied, but I could see the calculation in his eyes and sense that he wasn't telling me the truth. However, I decided not to dig any deeper, though my mind kept wondering. I could see in his eyes when he talked about her that he loved her very much, and I could swear that the man could never do anything bad toward his niece – ever. But there was a misunderstanding between them that Roff intended to keep it a secret.

"So what happened to Elsa? I've heard people saying that the war has changed her a lot."

"Unfortunately, son, _that_, I can't tell you. It's best that you don't know it. You just need to know that since then, she's no longer the Elsa we knew anymore." That was the only answer Roff and all the people in the village had told me. They refused to reveal anything more to me and Emma.

That night I didn't have to stand guard at the watch and had just returned from my duties. I was too exhausted that I didn't even bother to get out of those filthy clothes of mine on me. Gerda had made me and Emma some, since we were to stay there for a long term. I lay in my bed, eyes closed, but sleep had not yet found its way to me. I listened to the sounds of the evening, which remembered me of the summer nights back in my hometown. Edgar and I used to sneak out of our bedroom when our parents were asleep and lay on the soft dewed grass in the garden, watching the twinkling stars upon the night sky and letting the cool summer breeze carresing our skin. It was fun.

Suddenly, the silence of the night was shattered by the sound of a horrified scream.

_Emma!_

I immediately bolted out of my bed and rushed to Emma's room to find the little girl sitting upright in her bed, face pale with fear, panic and bewilderment.

"What's wrong?" Gerda asked, rushing into the room, following by Elsa.

"Oh God," Emma whimpered, "It was so terrible!"

"Did you have a nightmare?" Elsa asked softly, surprising me and Gerda. We both wondered how she could figure out so fast. Emma nodded in response and brought her knees to her chest, hugging them. Elsa walked over to her. Sitting beside the young girl in the bed, she wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, using her other hand to wipe the tears that were streaming on Emma's rosy cheeks. Elsa was wearing her white nightgown with middle-length sleeves. I'd almost gasped as I saw the vivid red and purple on the skin of both her wrists. From what I'd known, they looked like the marks of a chain, but they were also burns. What had they done to her?

"It's alright," Elsa gently whispered to the young girl. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Emma hiccupped and buried her head into Elsa's lap. She managed to describe her dream between her sobs. After hearing the girl's story, Elsa hushed her and stroked her chocolate hair gently. Inhaling a deep breath, she began to sing a song in the ancient language of Arendelle that sounded like a lullaby, her voice gentle and sweet. Gerda and I felt our jaws hitting the ground, both astonished to see as Emma started to relax and her eyelids sliding shut, and Elsa cradling the young girl's head in her lap, one arm wrapping around the girl and the other hand stroking her soft chocolate hair.

Gerda brought her hand to cover a quiet squeal and silently grabbed my hand, dragging me out of the room and closing the door as soundly as she could behind her. Once we were outside, I could see a wide grin crossing her face.

"What's so funny?" I asked. Gerda only giggled.

At the same moment, a sleepy Kristoff walked toward us, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms.

"What's going on? I thought I heard Emma screaming," he said with a yawn. "Was that a dream?"

"You still sleep like a pig, Kristoff," Gerda snorted.

"Did I miss something?" he asked.

"Emma had a nightmare," the old woman replied with a broad grin on her face.

"Then why are you smiling? The poor girl," Kristoff said. "She might be frightened."

"Yes, but Elsa solved the problem."

"Oh, that's great – wait, Elsa?" Kristoff was now completely awake. He seemed very surprised to hear that.

"Mm-hm," Gerda nodded.

"Are you serious?" he asked, eyes wide in shock.

"She's not lying," I said.

"Really?" he asked yet again, still couldn't believe in what he was hearing.

"She sang _the song_ to her!" Gerda squealed, trying to keep her voice as low as she could.

"That song?" he asked.

"What else would she sing? It's that lullaby. She sang it in _Ancient Arendellian_," she said merrily.

"Do I not know anything?" I asked.

"What are you guys whispering about?"

"Olaf!" we all exclaimed.

"Yeah?" the snowman said. "What are you guys talking about?"

"You remember the song Elsa used to sing for us when we were still back in Arendelle whenever there was a storm outside or when someone had a nightmare or trouble?" Gerda asked.

"_The song of the mountains_?" the little snowman asked.

"No," Kristoff shook his head, "Not that one, the one she used to sing in Acient Arendellian."

"Oh, the _Winter Melody_," Olaf squealed. "She hasn't sung it for a long time. Alex _loved_ hearing her sing it so much, said her voice was the sweetest sound in the world!"

"Who's Alex?" I asked.

"A member of our family," Gerda said quietly. I could sense sadness and grief in her voice. The three of them grew silent immediately.

"What happened?"

"When someone's fate has been decided, there's no way to change it, no matter how much we want it to be changed," Gerda said sadly and all three of them returned to their room after bidding me goodnight.

* * *

In the next three weeks, I could see a friendship starting to build between Emma and Elsa. They were bonding like mother and daughter. While patrolling the village in the days, I often passed by Elsa. Sometimes, we only sent each other with a few words of greetings or simply a nod or a smile, and every time like that, though I didn't know why, the men that were on duty with me always nudged me playfully or gave me winks and smirks; sometimes, we would stop and had a short conversation, then I would end it and hurried to catch up with my partners. Sometimes when Elsa came and visited the guards at the watch, the other men would try to leave me alone with her. I couldn't understand their intentions.

"So how is it going?" Elsa had asked me once when we were left alone. It was two nights after the night Emma had nightmare.

"Well, to be honest, first I didn't like it much, always being scolded by the captain and not used to staying up with my eyes wide open all night, but now I'm fine. And this is actually one quite interesting job," I said with a grin. Yes, I had enjoyed the life there. My new friends were interesting men; funny, grumpy, quiet, talkative… they had different personalities, but what I could see in all of them were courage, loyalty and goodness.

"I'm glad to hear it," Elsa said. We stood silent for a moment, eyeing the distance in the darkness of the night.

"The other night, when Emma had the nightmare and you comforted her," I said, "That was very… incredible. No one had ever managed to do that to her, not even her father."

"I only did what I could."

"And you did it well. Emma's mother had passed away while giving birth to her."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know about that."

"She has never experienced the feeling to have someone mothering her, and I think you were the first one. No one had ever sung to her to comfort her. I think she likes you very much."

"Emma is a lovely girl."

"Indeed she is," I agreed. "So, the song you sang to her, what was it about? I couldn't understand a word."

"Of course you don't. It's Ancient Arendellian."

"I know what language it is. I'm wondering what the song is about."

"It's called the Winter Melody. It's just a lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was young," Elsa said. I could feel that she wasn't telling me everything, despite the friendship growing between us for the past months I stayed with her, but decided not to ask.

Elsa suddenly took out a thick notebook from under her black cloak and handed it over to me. I looked at her confusingly and she seemed to understand my unspoken question.

"It's a notebook for you. I understand that you love to write. It's actually why I came here tonight. I think you might want it," she said and placed it in my hand.

"Thanks," I said, smoothing my fingers along the brown leather cover. "This is a nice notebook. And you got me. I haven't written anything for three months and my fingers have started to itch. Thank you, Elsa."

"When you return tomorrow morning, Gerda will give you the quill and… other necessary things to help your to write."

"Thank you, again."

"You're welcome. Goodbye, Mathias," Elsa smiled to me and turned on her heels to head back.

"Goodbye, Elsa," I replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."

But I didn't see her the next day, and the day after. Nearly a week went by and she hadn't yet returned. Emma and I were freaking out but the people in the village acted as if nothing was happening.

"Where the hell could she be?" I growled.

"Relax, son," Roff said.

"Hey, it's your niece going missing. How can you be so calm and put? Last time, she was only gone for three days and you sent a troop after her. Now, it's almost two weeks and you all are still here?"

"First of all, son, Elsa is not missing," he said firmly. "Secondly, it's August 11th tomorrow."

"How does it relate to Elsa being gone?"

"By this time last year, it was the day Arendelle was taken. I'm sure she just needs some time alone."

"I hope that you're right, Roff."

Three days later, there was a huge storm. Rain was pouring heavily and the thunder roared angrily on the sky. Kristoff and Ander had gone to the Rock Valley to visit the trolls two days ago, and probably would return tomorrow if the storm died down. Emma and I were with Gerda.

"My, what a heavy storm," Gerda commented and sat at the head of the table in the living room, next to Emma.

"It scares me," Emma said.

"Oh, I've been through worse storms than this. But I don't know why I'm so tensed! It's not like this storm is going to wipe out the whole Arendelle!" Gerda said.

"Maybe it's just you," Emma shurgged.

"Maybe, dear," Gerda repeated.

I ignored the two of them and continued to write in the notebook Elsa had given me. But I had to agree with Gerda. I had a gut feeling that something bad would happen.

Suddenly, the door burst open, causing me to look up. And I'd dropped my quill at what I was seeing. Elsa was standing at the doorway, panting heavily. She was soaked wet, completely covered in mud and blood, hair was a tuzzled mess, one hand gripping the door frame, and the other holding her sword – or what was left of her sword. And what had worried us most was the still bleeding cut on her forehead.

"My goodness, Elsa," Gerda exclaimed, while Emma and I were still frozen in place, mouths hanging open in speechlessness.

Elsa didn't say a word. She took a step inside but collapsed in exhaustion. This time, I immediately rose from my seat and rushed toward her. Flipping her carefully on her back, I would have almost panicked when I saw her unconscious, eyes shut close, had I not seen her breathing coming steadily from her nose. Emma quickly rushed to her side and shook her awake, but her eyes still remained closed.

"Gods above, take her into her room, Mathias, quickly!" Gerda urged. I carefully scooped the young woman into my arms and lifted her.

_Holy Saints, Elsa, have you even eaten a crumb since you left this house?_ I thought as I felt the queen extremely light and limp in my arms.

I carried her to her room, following Gerda and Emma. The old woman tried to open the door, but couldn't.

"Goddam it, it is frozen shut!" she cursed. I tried to use my magic to melt the ice, but it was too thick.

"Come, get her to my room," Gerda said. Once we got into the old woman's room, I laid Elsa down on the bed as gingerly as I could, careful to avoid the injuries she might have sustained.

"Mathias, go fetch the healer!" Gerda ordered. I immediately turned on my heels and sprinted out of the room. "Emma, help me get her out of these clothes before she catches a cold. She's soaked wet! Oh God, Elsa, when you said you'd be gone for a few days, I had thought of you spending your time alone and mourn somewhere like the North Mountains. What have you done? Oh, the poor dear…"

"Will she be okay?" Emma asked.

"I hope so. She'd better be. Come, give me a hand."

When I returned with the healer, she and Gerda told me and Emma to wait outside. We sat in the living room and waited as we were told. Emma had fallen asleep beside me, head resting on my shoulder after a few minutes. But I couldn't find the urge to sleep, not a wink. Elsa had returned in the most terrible circumstance we could have imagined. She looked worse than the death. Where the hell had she been and what could she have possibly done that she became like that? Well, all the questions would be answered soon when she woke up – if she woke up.

An hour passed and the healer exited the room, heading toward us. Emma instinctively woke up as the old woman approached.

"Is Elsa alright?" we both said in unison.

"She's alright. Aside from a few bruises, a few cuts on her forehead, arms and back, she's perfectly find. There are no serious wounds. She collapsed because of exhaustion, and because she hadn't eaten properly in days. You can come in if you want now," Susan – the healer – said. Emma and I didn't hesitate for a second and quickly made our way to Gerda's room, where Elsa was in.

Elsa was lying on the bed, still sleeping soundly, chest rising and falling steadily with her breathing; her dirty hair had been cleaned and was spreading on the pillow and her shoulders, the wound on her arm was carefully bandaged. Gerda had somehow managed to find a clean white nightgown and put it on the young woman. Emma and I both sighed in relief to see Elsa alright.

Emma immediately rushed to the queen's side, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Elsa? Elsa," the girl called out, stroking her's cheek. Elsa's eyes slowly opened.

"Alex?" she whispered.

"No," Emma shook her head. "It's me, Emma."

"Oh God, Alex, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Alex, I'm so sorry," Elsa sobbed quietly, tears welling in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks in long silvery lines. "I love you, Alex, _so_ much, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"No, Elsa. Alex is not here. It's me, Emma."

"You should probably go and get some sleep," Gerda said, putting a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "It's late. I'll call you when she wakes. You should, too, Mathias."

Emma and I looked at Elsa hesitantly but nodded reluctantly and returned to our rooms, but when I got Emma into her room, the young girl beckoned me to stay the night with her. I was hesitant at first, but she insisted, so I came back before changing into dry clothes, because I got myself wet from head to toe while running to get the healer.

Tucking an arm under Emma's head and pulling her close to my side, I pulled the cover over us.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Emma asked worriedly, glancing out the closed door, where behind it and across the narrowed hallway was where Elsa was.

"She'll be fine, Emma," I said, following with a 'hopefully' under my breath so she wouldn't hear it. "Go to sleep."

"Okay," Emma said and closed her eyes, but she didn't go to sleep yet. She quietly hummed the song Elsa had sung to her when she had a nightmare. After a few moments, I heard her voice went quieter and eventually silent. She had drifted off to sleep.

When I was sure that she was soundly asleep, I carefully slid out of the bed, placing Emma's head on the pillow and pulling the cover over her shoulder, and walked over to the door. Taking one last glance to make sure that she was sleeping, I closed the door behind me without causing any sound and went to the living room.

* * *

A/N: So, how was it? Review, so I can know what you think, guys. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Yeah, it's a short one yet again, and didn't very effortful to write. Sorry.

Don't forget to read my other story, either. It's called _The Legacy of the Father_. I've just posted a new chapter yesterday. See ya!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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The next day's afternoon, I stood at the watch, along with Kevin, Deren and Max. When I left home for my duty, Elsa had not yet awoken. Though I wanted to stay and wait until she woke, I couldn't; I had to stand at the watch that day. It wasn't my shift, but Wilbur was sick, so I took it for him.

"You seem troubled today, lad," Deren said. He was the oldest in the four of us. "What's wrong? Is that about Queen Elsa of yours?"

"As a matter of fact, it is," I said, drawing attention from the other two.

"Oh, what's about her?" Max asked. He was a small man about my age.

"Yeah, you've been worrying about the lass since she was gone," Kevin – who was about ten years older than Max and I – smirked.

"She returned last night in the worst state ever," I replied flatly. It wasn't I didn't care for her, I do. But I didn't want to wait her to ask if she was alright or not. I wanted to wait until she was awake so I could scold her for making me worried sick for exactly seventeen days.

"Wow, how bad?" Max asked.

"A broken blade; four cuts, one on her forehead, one on her arm and one on her back; collapsed because of exhaustion and because she starved herself; and when she stepped into the house, she was all covered in mud and blood. When I left this morning, she was still unconscious," I said with a scowl. The other three looked at me with their mouths hanging open in shock.

"Holy-shit," Deren managed to say.

"Hold on, how did she manage to get into our barracks? If she was back from last night, the whole village must know it by now and they would be talking about it," Max said.

"Have you forgotten that Her Majesty is the sneaking-off type of person? This isn't the first time she managed to slip away without us noticing. We didn't even know that she went out of the barracks and perhaps would never have had Mathias here hadn't provide us the information," Deren said.

"She's everything like her uncle. Speaking of, Roff isn't going to be happy seeing her like that," Kevin chuckled.

"Look, Erik has returned!" Max suddenly shouted, pointing at the young man riding on a pony, heading toward us. Erik was our messenger, the conduit between us and our men back in Arendelle. He was a young man about the age of seventeen with chestnut brown hair. He had been playing his role perfectly as a palace guard. Thanks to him, we could still know what was going on back in our kingdom – apologies, their kingdom. And yes, we had men back in Arendelle, in the palace guards, amongst the people, the castle's servants and even the council. Elsa had told me that we even had the Southerners on our side, but didn't reveal their identity to me.

The gates opened for the messenger to enter. But his face was full of bewilderment and panic. Something was wrong.

Unlike always, Erik didn't say hi to everyone and come to see his family before seeing Elsa and Roff to report the situation in Arendelle, he demanded on seeing the captain of the guards immediately. I could see them talking. I wondered what Erik had said that had angered Roff so much that his face turned vivid red. But what had confused me that the captain immediately glanced up at me with a scowl and gestured me to come down. I swallowed hard and went to him as he'd instructed. When I arrived, the messenger had been dismissed.

"You asked for my presence, Captain?" I asked.

"Private Watson, do you have any news to report to your captain?" he arched an eyebrow at me.

"I'm not sure I follow, Captain," I said.

"Is there anything new about the queen?"

"Her Majesty has just returned last night, Captain Roff. But she isn't in a good state at the moment. She has collapsed from exhaustion and was still unconscious when I left for my duty this morning, sir."

"If I recall correctly, it's Private Jorgen's shift today, and you are not on duty, Private Watson."

"Wilbur has fallen ill, Captain. I took his shift for him so he can rest until he's well enough to be on duty again."

"Ah, I see," Roff said. "Can you be more specific in the queen's state when she returned last night?"

_Alright, here we go. _I gulped.

"Well, as I said, Captain, she wasn't in a good state," I replied.

"Mathias, please don't tell me that the little foolish brat you call queen returned covered all in blood and dirt," he said, dropping all formalities.

"How do you know?" I asked, stunned.

"Mathias, our messenger has just reported that the group of fire-slaves of Hayden the dark sorcerer has been slaughtered two nights ago. Every single person of them was beheaded, their chests were ripped open and arms and legs were chopped out. The whole kingdom is whispering about this. No one knows who has killed them," Roff informed, shocking me. I knew what he was suspecting and I didn't think it was true. It couldn't be, could it?

"So I ask you once again, Private Mathias Watson, to describe every detail about the queen's state of health," he demanded.

I sighed heavily. "The queen returned last night, covered in dirt and blood, as you've predicted, also with a broken blade. She doesn't have any major injury, or at least that's what the healer told me."

"Oh God, Elsa, please tell me you didn't do it, you stupid, foolish and reckless brat!" Roff mumbled. "Mathias, come with me. I need to know how she is."

"Sir, I don't think she's up yet," I said.

"Then I'll wake her up. Even she's death, I'll make her alive so I can kill her myself for this," he growled. "Come!"

Sighing, I reluctantly followed him back to our house.

* * *

Elsa was sitting in her bed, her face gaunt because of days without eating anything properly and heavy purple bags under her eyes because of nights without sleep, hands folded in her lap when the door burst open and an angry Roff stormed in.

"Elsa, you foolish and reckless brat, could you tell me what the hell you have done in Arendelle?" he growled, glaring at her. Emma's face went pale in fright. Yet the woman didn't even flinch. "All the fire wielders were killed. In one night, Elsa, in one night they were killed. Every of them were beheaded and… you _know _what happened to them. Would you care to explain? Have you lost your mind? How dare you do it? Why didn't you at least tell me?"

"I thought I'm a grown woman so I can do whatever I want," Elsa said flatly. "I don't need you to be my guardian, Roff."

"Oh but I'm your captain of the guards. I'm going to be your guardian for a long term, Elsa."

"Is that a way for you to adress a queen?"

"No, but it's a way for me to address you."

"I thought we've established that you're no longer family."

"Yeah, I've heard this about a thousand times before."

"Families don't lie to each other."

"I know, I killed your brother, whom you loved most. I'm the traitor and should have been sentenced to death… Wait, _what?_"

Elsa finally brought her eyes to his, blue meeting green.

"You have been lying to me the whole time. You've been lying to me for twenty-two years, Roff," Elsa said, tears welling in her eyes. "You didn't tell me you killed Einar because he tried to kill me."

"Where did you get the information?" Roff asked quietly, still stunned.

"I met Kai. He was your most trusted friend. He told me everything… about that night. Roff, did he speak the truth?"

Roff hesitated for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Your twin brother, Einar, his power wasn't a gift like you. It was a curse. It had slowly eaten him from the inside and darkened his heart. Had I not… prevented him from shooting the ice blast toward you, you wouldn't be here today, Elsa. And I had no choice but to kill him. Because if I didn't, he would harm you eventually, physically or mentally; I couldn't let that happen."

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"I had tried to tell you many times, Elsa. But I remember your eyes when Einar fell. I know the love you always gave him. Even when you were only seven at the time and you hardly understand the meaning of the word, but you loved your brother more than anything in the world, Elsa. You two have shared everything, feature, power, hell even a womb! It pains me to see your parents grieved for his son's death, but he was a monster, Elsa. Yet you still love him. I don't want to ruin that. So I decided to keep silence."

"You did it just because you didn't want me to think bad about my brother?"

Roff nodded. Elsa bit her lip and glanced down at her lap.

"So can you tell me what happened the past few days? I think there are a few gaps that need to be filled up here," Roff said after a long moment of silence.

Elsa sighed and glanced up at the ceiling for a brief moment. "I've been planning this since I fully recovered from my injuries six months ago. Yes, I killed all of them. One hundred and fifteen is the correct number of the men I have killed," she admited. But I didn't see any regret in her eyes. All I could see was anger and satisfaction in her darkening ice cold blue eyes.

"I'm surprised that you didn't kill Hans and Alfonse, either."

"No, it's too risky, though those two are the ones I wish to kill most," Elsa growled, grasping a fistful of bed sheet, clenching her jaws.

"But I'm a little confused. If you have killed them already, when they were already dead, why would you have to behead them and… separate their bodies into parts?"

"Because that's what they had done to Alex," Elsa said. Roff licked his lip and bowed his head.

"You never told me how they died," Roff said in a quiet voice.

"One was crushed by a beast; one was stabbed in the abdomen and burnt to death," she said blankly. "I suppose you can guess who was killed in what way."

"I suppose I can," Roff said. "Are you hurt?"

"I think that you know if one woman is to fight against one hundred and fifteen men, there are injuries that she must sustain."

"Wait, you singlehandedly killed all of them? You didn't get any help?"

"No. Where could I find help? Besides, they killed Alex. In turn, I _have_ to kill them myself."

"Wow, I'm both proud and impressed. I guess I should learn to expect the unexpect from you, Elsa."

"You should," Elsa said with a smirk.

"I believe so. You haven't answered my question."

"From what you can see now, I have a cut on my forehead and right arm. Aside from that, if I can recall, there should be… eight nasty bruises, perhaps even a broken rib or maybe it was only me feeling it, and a slash across my back. Another scar yet," she muttered the last sentence under her breath angrily, "Those bastards."

"Yes, the bastards indeed," Roff echoed. "Let me see the wound on your back."

"It's not any major injury."

"You don't have to be embarrassed. It's not like there's anything I haven't seen."

Elsa arched an eyebrow at him, but seeing his determination, she shifted so that her back was facing us.

"Holy Saints and Gods above!" a shocking gasp escaped my lips as the fabric of her nightgown slid down, revealing the vivid long red scars traced across her back like a spider's web. I had been standing at the doorway the whole time, listening to the two of them. And the terrible state of her back had shocked me. There was a new cut from her left shoulder to the middle of her back, and a nasty purple bruise at her ribs, but they weren't something too major. However, I knew what kind of scars those old ones were and could tell that those were caused by a leather whip. Who had done that to her was even more relentless than monsters and beasts!

Elsa glanced over her shoulder at me but immediately looked away and let Roff examine her wound.

"Well, that's not a major thing, indeed. You've sustained worse injuries than these bruises and cuts," he said.

"True," Elsa said quietly, pulling her nightgown back on.

"I still can't believe how you managed to kill all of them," Roff said with a smirk.

"The key is to separate them and kill them one by one."

"You're an incredible woman, you know that?"

"I think someone has said the same thing for me before."

"And you didn't eat anything during those times, did you? You look skinnier than a skeleton."

"Eating little and not eating anything at all are different things."

"Still, you're going to stay in bed until I allow you to get out of it."

"What? You can't be serious! I'm a grown woman, for God's sake, not a five-year-old child! You have no right to tell me what to do and what not to do. I'm the queen."

"Oh, I have every right to, Elsa."

"Sometimes I really hate you."

"And I you," Roff smirked. "I should be getting back to my work now."

"I understand," Elsa said. Roff pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and headed toward the door. I stepped aside for him to pass.

"I love you, Uncle," Elsa called out for him, causing the old man to halt at the door. It had been twenty-two years – a very, very long time – since he'd heard those precious words from her lips. She had shocked him by saying those words, the words he had been desired to hear, a desire that had constantly burnt in his heart, torturing him for more than two decades had now vanished, and he once again found the love his beloved niece used to give him that he'd been craving like the crave for water and a shadow of a pedestrian in the middle of the hot desert.

Slowly, Roff turned around to look at his niece with eyes welling with tears of joy. A happy smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I love you, too, Elsa," he said softly.

"You won't have to stand at the watch tonight, Mathias. I have another task for you. Take care of my niece until she fully recovers. Are we clear?" he said.

"Yes, sir," I said. He nodded then walked out of the room, with Elsa continued to watched him until he'd disappeared out of sight.

Once we heard the door closed shut behind Roff, Elsa turned to me.

"Say what you want to, Mathias," she said, and that was all I needed.

"You were gone for seventeen days," I said flatly, arms folded firmly against my chest.

"Nice start."

"You could've at least left me a note to tell that you were going to be gone for a time."

"I don't think it's your place to worry about those things."

"I may not come from this land, I may never _actually_ belong to this place, but now, at present, I'm part of your guards, indebted to you. My duty at this moment is to serve _and_ protect you. It's natural for a guard to worry for his queen, Majesty."

"I thought we've agreed that titles are not allowed in this house, _Private_," she said mockingly.

"You have no idea how much I was worried about you," I said quietly. "Elsa, when you collapsed on the floor, you gave me a fright. I thought something had happened to you." Elsa grew silent at this moment. "When you were gone, I couldn't be able to relax. I have come to consider you as a friend, Elsa. And as the closest guard to the queen, I can't stand to watch anything happens to you."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I should have told you that I would be gone for some time. I shouldn't have underestimated you. I didn't know you and Emma are so concerned about me."

"It's alright," I sighed. "You're alright now. That's what matters at the moment. So what is the thing between you and Roff? I think I'm missing something here."

"Well, the truth is, Anna isn't my only sibling. I had an older twin brother name Einar. He shared similar powers to me, but his was a curse. I've told you before, haven' I? People cursed with the power would eventually lose all their goodness and they would either have a frozen heart or no heart at all. Einar and I were very close, closer than the bond I share with Anna. I loved him more than anything in the world. But my love for my brother was too strong that had blinded me. I didn't realise that his heart was freezing and he was becoming a monster with a frozen heart. One night, when I was seven and we were in the library, Einar suddenly froze everything in the room. So I thought he was losing control because I sometimes would, too. I approached him and tried to comfort him, but the magic continued to swirl around him then gathered into a ball of blue energy in front of him. It was about to aim at me, but I didn't see it, and it would have had Roff not thrown a dagger into his chest, piercing his heart. And because of the crime he comitted, he was to receive his punishment. But my father couldn't bring the heart to kill him so Roff was exiled. That was until seven years ago when we met him again in our kingdom, but not as the prince of Arendelle anymore, but a guard of one of the Southern Isles's princes. He was very recognisable. And Anna had insisted to let him stay in Arendelle. I reluctantly accepted, but he would not be allowed to stay in the resident wings. Anna didn't know about what Roff did to Einar. She still doesn't. She wouldn't even remember who Einar was until I told her about him eight years ago. The rest of the story, I guess you know already."

"I can't believe he did it for you."

"That's what family is, isn't it?"

"Aye, you have a great family."

Elsa's face suddenly saddened a bit. "Yes, it's good to have a family like that."

"So, do you still love him, I mean your brother? Now you know the truth that he tried to kill you. Do you still love him?"

"It can be quite a shock for me to know it. But it wasn't his fault. It was the curse. To answer your question, I would say yes. I still love him."

I nodded. "And you alone killed one hundred and fifteen men with fire powers?"

"I did it without using my powers, too."

"Remember to remind me not to get on your bad side."

"I shall, Mathias."

"But why did you kill them?"

"For revenge," Elsa replied, avoiding my gaze.

She was still hiding a great secret from me, I knew it. But I didn't think it was the right time to ask. I could still see the sadness lingering deep within her cerulean eyes, and couldn't find a good explanation. People wouldn't give me one and I hadn't a clue about it. The sadness lay in her eyes had always been a mystery to me, making me even more curious.

I hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "The scars on your back… what… who did that to you?"

Elsa sighed. "You've already seen them, so I guess saying that it's because of training is not very convincing?" I nodded.

"Then I suppose denying is useless now," she continued. "When Hans managed to capture me when he'd taken Arendelle, he didn't just simply chain me, Mathias. That man is hungry for revenge. He tortured me for exactly three days, both physically and mentally. It was a miracle how I survived from his torment. And look at me now; I'm becoming someone even worse than him."

"No, you're not, Elsa."

"I am," she said firmly. "The men I killed two nights ago weren't the first ones, Mathias. Before them were countless people. I'm turning into a savage."

"You're not turning into a savage," I said, starting walking toward her.

"Because I'm already one, and turning into a heartless monster," she said in a low voice that was almost blank.

"Don't say that. I know you're not that kind of person, Elsa."

"How do you know? Have you ever seen what wars do to people?"

"Actually I have."

"You have?"

"I may not be the one who was scarred by battles and wars, but I've seen how it changed people. Some of my classmates, who used to be funny and romantic, but when they returned from the war, they weren't anymore. They ignored all the girls they used to like and flirt with, and became cold hearted, even to me. We were like brothers. We shared the same ambition to become a famous author. But when they returned from war, all their dreams seemed to vanish, and they didn't continue on studying anymore. Some of them are now haunted with the images of the fierce battles they'd been through and the eyes of the people they'd killed, or at least that's what my brother told me.

"I thought that their true nature was gone forever, that the goodness in them had been erased, but no. I was wrong. Though they lost their dreams, though they became cold and distant toward everyone, they still had their humanity. They still had goodness in them. You're no different. And personally, I think you're not a monster or a savage, nor you are an ordinary woman, you're a miracle, Elsa. I may not know it in details, but from what people had told me, you have been through so much of pains, physically and mentally. I was told how horrible the war was in Arendelle, and many people you loved were killed. That's more than a person can get through, Elsa, not mentioning a woman – no offense. What I'm trying to say is, you're the strongest person I've ever seen. You killed those people, but they weren't good people, either. They'd killed many other lives, invaded your kingdom, and, as one of the guards said, even tried to kill you – the rightful queen of Arendelle – so it is right for them to be sentenced to death. They would have to pay for their sins soon or later, Elsa."

"It's easy for you to say. You didn't see me at the time. You can never understand how I felt when I killed them. I _liked_ it, Mathias. I had enjoyed seeing them died by my hands. I know what crime that had committed – regicide, and the sentence is death, yet I killed them singlehandedly. It was a luck that I could still keep my mind clear and didn't seek and kill Hans myself that night, or I'd be _dead_ by now. I'm no match for him at the moment. He is the one I desire to kill most, but I have to save the right thing for the right time and place. All good things come to those who wait."

"From what I've heard people talking about Hans and what he has done to you, I can tell that you're nothing like him, Elsa. That man first tried to assassinate both you and your sister, then invaded your kingdom, captured you and your sister and tortured you, tore your sister away from her family, killed countless of your subjects. And what is his purpose, the throne and to satisfy his thirst for revenge upon you and your sister? You are not a monster and a savage, Elsa. He is. And I think he has done more than what I've mentioned earlier. I don't think that mad man would have stopped there."

"You got it right that part. Those aren't the only things he had ever done to me. But I think most people will say that he'd done terrible things to me doesn't mean I have to have my revenge on him."

"I think I'd say the same. Revenge doesn't change the past."

"Aye, but it feels good," Elsa said, eyes lit up as the words escape her lips. I didn't know exactly what, but something more then horrible and tragic had descended upon her, changing her into the vengeful and bloodthirsty woman sitting before me right now.

"So how did you kill them?" I asked, curious on how she'd managed to do the work all alone.

"Well, I had to stay and gather informations for the first two weeks. Then I snuck into the palace to where the guard's wing is. It wasn't very hard since I know the way like the back of my hand, every corner and hidden passage. I took them down one by one, quietly and unoticed. I didn't even use my magic. I didn't hear the alarm bell until I've exited the castle and reached the edge of the forest."

"So, in conclusion, you killed one hundred and fifteen men with fire power without using your power and being noticed by the palace guardss, and you broke your blade?"

"Oh, I haven't told you everything, have I? I also broke a crossbow and two knives."

"Holy-shit," I said with my eyes wide in shock. "And why is your door sealed? I can't find a way to melt the ice and get you in."

"That's the idea. It took quite a lot of effort to seal that room. Do you remember the rule in this house?"

"Ah yes, only you are allowed to enter that room."

"You got it right, Watson. Though I'm feeling so guilty stealing Gerda her room, I can't unseal the room until I got better. Now when I'm recovering, many people would come to check on me. I can't let anyone into my room."

"Why?"

"If I told you why, I'd have to kill you this instance."

"Ouch."

Elsa chuckled. "Though I wouldn't want to, I'd still have to, unfortunately."

"Well then, I'd better stay out of that room. So, you broke a crossbow and two knives, but your sword is also broken. Why did you bring it back, but left the other three weapons?"

"You do realise that the hilt of my sword is very recognisable as the crest of Arendelle?"

"I didn't know it was Arendelle's crest, but yes, it is obvious that it belongs to you, unless there's someone out there with similar power."

"Yes, that's one of the reasons why I dragged it back here. Had it been one of the guards' swords, I'd have left it back in Arendelle."

"Why? Why is it so special?"

"The sword wasn't mine, actually. It used to belong to one of my family. It's as much prescious as my dagger, the one I held at your throat when we first met. It was gifted."

"Ah yes, I can recall that dagger and our interesting encounter. What made you pin me into a tree and press a blade at my throat that night?" I asked. Elsa's face turned a deep shade of red.

"I smelled ash and smoke, like one of those fire-slaves. I thought it was one of them."

"So that's why. You scared me to death that day. I thought I'd done something terrible. But why did you run away? It wasn't like I had a knife pointing at your torso."

"I was just scared, that's all," Elsa mumbled, glancing away from me. I knew that she was lying.

"So, I guess I'll be the one to take care of you until you're out of this room, huh?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"I know my uncle worries about me, but I don't need a babysitter," she glared at me.

"Unfortunately, my captain has given me a task and I have to fulfill it," I grinned broadly.

"I'm the queen," she protested.

"But you're his niece," I said and stepped aside to dodge the snowball she was sending at me.

"You missed me – oomph!" I smirked and turned around but received another one hitting my gut.

"Careful, Mathias," Elsa warned, a playfull and mischievous grin crossing her face. "You're talking with _the Snow Queen_."

"I think I'm aware of that, Majesty," I said, rubbing my stomach where she'd hit me hard. That woman seriously was something, wasn't she?

* * *

Elsa wasn't allowed to get out of bed until a week later. According to the healer, she was seriously malnourished and too weak to get out of bed. And Roff had forced me to stay with her all the time. And when I say 'all the time', I mean _all the time!_ I was forced to sit there and hear her complaining about being locked into the room. Now I understood why her uncle often called her 'little brat', because she was one.

"Let me out, Mathias! This is mutiny!" she had shouted, glaring at me when I stubbornly stood at the door, towering her, preventing her from getting out of the goddamn room. "I'm the queen. You can't lock me into my room… again! This is the fourth time! And I'm a grown woman. I don't need a babysitter."

"First of all, mutiny is on a ship and treason is in a kingdom," I corrected. "Secondly, it's your uncle's order for me to stay here with you, which means I'm going to be beheaded if I don't do it. And it's the healer's instructions for you to stay here until you're strong enough to get out. It's for your own good."

"I was locked in my room for thirteen years of my childhood, then another two weeks and three days a few years later, another exactly six months and twelve days, and now I'm here for three days! Would you goddamn let me out this instance, Mathias?"

"No, Majesty. One can never get whatever he wants, even a queen."

"I'm the fucking snow queen, Mathias."

"Aye, you are, and I'm the guy with fire power. So I guess we're even now."

"I hate you."

"It's my pleasure to serve the queen of Arendelle."

"Son of a-"

"Language, Majesty, a queen doesn't curse or swear." Then I held up a hand to stop her. "And you're a queen doesn't mean you can speak whatever you wish to speak."

"Get out," she snarled.

"Unfortunately, your uncle won't let me," I said firmly, crossing my arm over my chest. "Now get back to bed."

"Make me," she challenged.

"As Her Majesty commands," I said and lifted her easily as if she was as light as a feather – which she actually was, causing a yelp to escape her lips, taking her by surprise.

"Hey! What are you doing? Put me down, you bastard!" she shouted. I rolled my eyes and placed her back into her bed.

"There, wasn't that so hard?" I said. Elsa snorted and threw a snowball at me, but this time I managed to avoid it, letting the ball of snow hiting the wall. I had expected her to throw one at me – that was about the nineth one, I suppose.

"Sometimes I really hate you, Mathias," she muttered.

"And you're no less annoying yourself, _Majesty_," I said mockingly, and she rolled her eyes at me.

Well, at least the next few days were more pleasant. Elsa had become more co-operative and obeyed the healer's instruction. Although there was one irritating problem was that I still had to babysit her instead of doing my duties as a guard. I couldn't protest to my captain, and he was even more stubborn than his niece. No wonder they were relatives. So I reluctantly stayed with Elsa in her room – or more like Gerda's room. She still refused to unseal her room, though feeling guilty for the older woman. But Gerda said it was fine and she would stay with Emma. The young girl would often came in and talk with Elsa. I was more than happy to see them being so close. And during the week of being Elsa's 'guardian', I had plenty of time to talk with her. I would tell her about my life in the future, and she listened carefully. Elsa was very shocked to hear about the society in the future, and that didn't surprise me at all. She would tell her story, mostly about her work as queen and her bonding with her sister, but there were a few subjects that she refused to be open with and didn't want to talk about. Actually, I did almost all of the talking and she did most of the listening. I didn't want to pursue and push her on the matters, so I just left it there and change the subject. But the more I talked with her, the more I got to know her. And she was the most confusing and mysterious person I'd ever seen. That woman held more secrets than I thought she would.

Kristoff had returned a day later than Elsa, and had been extremely shocked to hear what his sister-in-law had done.

"You _cannot_ be serious!" he exclaimed.

"Yet I am," Elsa said.

"Are you out of your mind? You could have been killed!"

"I think I'm well aware of that."

"Holy-hell, how did you manage to get all of them down?"

"It was quite effortful, but I did it."

"You know, you truly are a mystery."

"Someone has said that to me before."

Kristoff smiled faintly and remained silent for a minute before speaking up again. "Have you seen Anna?" he asked. Elsa shook her head, making his face drop with disappointment.

"I went down to the cell, but she wasn't there. I suppose she's being held somewhere else, maybe in the east tower. We'll find her and bring her home, Kristoff."

"I know, Elsa. I know."

* * *

Now that Elsa had been free to roam, she was more than relieved and blissful to get out. The woman only spent an hour talking with the villagers before disappearing to who-knew-where once again, slipping under the guards like a phantom.

"The brat has been gone since yesterday morning," Roff growled, looking toward the blue morning sky when he was patrolling the barracks with me and another guard. "Where could she be? Was more than two weeks of disappearance not enough?"

"Easy, Captain, Her Majesty is probably just wandering around," the guard name Tom said.

"By 'wandering around', Tom, I hope you don't mean doing anything foolish and getting herself injured yet again," I said with a scowl. I didn't know why, but I'd become more protective toward Elsa ever since she came back from Arendelle. "I don't think I could stand babysitting her anymore."

"So that's what you've been doing the whole week, Watson? Lord, we've been wondering where you were," Tom laughed. "I take it that being alone and close with the queen has been a quite unpleasant experience? Is she any less fierce than in the training field?"

"That woman is the most annoying and stubborn person I've ever seen," I mumbled. "She seems to take after her uncle."

"We're family," Roff shrugged.

"You forced me to stay in there with her," I said angrily.

"Only fire can tame ice. It has worked before," he replied.

"She doesn't seem to like being forced to stay in one place," I said.

"Aye, the lass was locked in her room thirteen years of her childhoodm and the two other times when she was… in a terrible state of health," Tomm said.

"You saw what Hans did to her, Mathias. You can probably figure out," Roff said. I nodded.

"Captain Roff!" someone called. We all looked up and saw a guard rushing toward us.

"What's the matter, Finn?" Roff asked the young soldier.

"Sir, there are two visitors demanding to see the queen," Finn said, still panting heavily.

"Who wants to see the queen?" I asked.

"Two visitors from the Southern Isles," he replied. I felt my fists clenching at my sides and fire burning in my veins. "They're Prince Henry and…" the young guard swallowed nervously before continuing, "Prince Jerome."

* * *

A/N: Please tell me you don't hate it. And _1534rosa_, as I've said before, I was almost done with the chapter. I'm not a cruel person to leave you hanging on a cliff for too long… yet. And I have to finish this so I can start writing a new chapter for my other story, _The Legacy of the Father_. Don't forget to read and review both of my stories, guys. Love you all.

Phuong


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

"Let them pass, but keep a close eye on Jerome," Roff ordered without any hesitation. "Have four guards accompanying them." The young guard nodded and turned on his heels.

I frowned and looked at the captain in shock, unsure if I'd heard him correctly or not. I couldn't have, could I? How could he possibly let two Southerners entering the barracks? They were our – sorry, their – enemy. How could Roff let their enemy pass? I looked over to Tom and he didn't even react. How could they be so calm when there were two Southerners entering?

"Are you out of your mind, old man?" I shouted at Roff.

"Ah yes, you're right. I should have put six guards with the two," Roff said, smacking his forehead, "Oh the stupid, foolish old me."

"That is not what I mean!" I snarled at him angrily. "Why are you letting two Southerners entering? Aren't the Southern Isles your enemy?"

"Not all the Southern Isles is our enemy, Watson," Roff said. "Only Hans and Alfonse are to us. Of all the rest of the Westerguard brothers, Henry and Jerome are our closest allies. They're good men, and are loved by our people; we – which I mean Kristoff, Anna, Ander and I – consider them almost as family."

I arched an eyebrow, "I don't understand. I think I'm missing something here. If the two of them are your allies, if they aren't dangerous and don't mean any harm, why do you have to 'keep an eye on him' and why putting guards with them?"

"Look, you're the new guy here, so it's normal that you don't understand this," Tom said. "But there are a few things you don't need to know, Watson. Sometimes, there are secrets that don't need to be told, or cannot be told."

"We didn't put the guards with the princes for our protection and to prevent them from causing any harm," Roff said. "And the guards aren't meant for Henry, it's for Jerome, because it is _him_ who needs to be protected from harm. We don't want him to be murdered here."

"What harm?" I asked.

"Let's just say, well, he and our queen," Tom said hesitantly, scratching the back of his head, "They don't get along very well."

"Private Mathias Watson, I have an _important_ mission for you," Roff said, placing a hand on his shoulder, his eyes seemed to be more pleading than demanding, "When Elsa returns and sees Jerome, make sure that the prince manage to get out of here alive and in one piece." I frowned, another mystery yet. I thought that this situation between Prince Jerome and Elsa was probably at some point similar to the thing between her and her uncle, because as Roff said, people loved them, and they were close allies, but Elsa didn't seem to like the second prince. I wondered what had happened between them.

A few minutes later, the two princes arrived with four guards accompanying them as Roff had instructed, the older one had auburn hair and sideburns and the younger one had raven hair, but both shared the similar green eyes and some features. As my eyes lay upon the men approaching us, I immediately froze, brows furrowed in a confusing and shocking frown, and they, in turn, eyes grew wide in shock, mouth hanging open and body stiffened. The older prince looked more different, but the younger prince was a perfect copy of me, only with green eyes and different clothing. Had it not been for the different eye colour, we would have looked identical.

The princes immediately rushed toward me. They stared at me in a long moment, with both shock and happiness in his eyes. I frowned. I'd seen these eyes before, this wasn't the first time someone had looked at me with those expressions, first Elsa, second Kristoff, then Gerda and the people, now the two princes of the Southern Isles were looking at me with the same eyes.

"_B-Brother?_" the younger prince was the one to finally manage to speak. He grabbed my shoulders and asked, "Brother, God, is that really _you_?"

"Pardon me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, still recovering from the shock earlier and tried to escape the prince's grip.

"Oh God, you're alive? But you were dead! I saw it with my own eyes," he said, eyes growing wider than ever and his grip on my shoulders tightening. "How can this be possible? Please tell me this isn't true, that my brother returned from the dead!"

"What?" I exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Highness, I think you've mistaken me to someone else."

"Prince Jerome," Roff said, placing a hand on the prince's shoulder. "I know we all mourn for your brother's death, and we all hope that he can return to us, but I'm sorry. This isn't your twin brother. He's our recruit, Mathias Watson."

The hopeful glint in the princes' eyes immediately died down in a matter of a blink of an eye and turned into a crestfallen, disappointed and saddened frown. I soon recognised the expression. It was the same to Elsa the first day I met her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Watson," Prince Henry said. "My brother wasn't acting properly. Please forgive him."

"No, it's quite alright, Highness. Prince Jerome wasn't the first one to react that way," I said and I swear I had heard the younger prince muttering 'obviously' under his breath.

"Roff, where's Elsa? We need to speak to her," Henry said.

"Is something wrong? You seem to have an important business."

"This is urgent. We have a few matters to discuss with Kristoff and Elsa. It's more than important. And we received the news that the troops of fire wielder Hayden created had been murdered one by one in a single night, and the night they were killed was August 11th. We all know what night it was. Please tell us it's not the truth, Roff. Please don't tell me that Elsa has done this horrible thing. This isn't her. It couldn't have been her… could it?"

Roff sighed and hesitated for a few moments before nodding slowly. "I'm afraid that it's the truth, Henry," he said quietly.

"No, it cannot. Please tell me that you're joking," Jerome said. "It could have been someone else. Elsa couldn't have done this. I swear she wouldn't even hurt a fly!"

"I didn't want to believe, either, but…" Roff sighed. "She's been through too much, the poor girl." He hesitantly glanced around. "I think we should speak somewhere else more comfortable, and more private. My niece isn't here at the moment. She has been gone since yesterday and has not yet returned. But she'd probably be back soon."

"What? She told us to come and now she's gone?" Henry asked.

"She sent for you two?" Roff asked, shocked.

"No, she sent for _him_," Jerome pointed at his older brother. "I was only dragged all the way here by this moron. And now I'm about to meet with my death sentence, thanks to you. Some brother you are. I have my wife and three kids at home, you know?"

"Oh for God's sakes, when are you and Elsa going to sort this out? Families are supposed to forgive each other. I only did what I think is good. What can I do otherwise? This is the best choice, and probably the only choice if you want to be family with her like you used to. I know you love Elsa, we all do."

"It's not like I was the only one to break the bond between us!" Jerome retorted.

"Hey, you have to understand how she feels. It's a miracle how she's alive!" Henry snapped.

"You bas-" Jerome snarled.

"Henry! Jerome!" Roff shouted, causing the two men to snap out of their argument. "You are two grown men and the princes, for God's sakes. Stop acting like children!" The two men blushed in embarrassment, ears turning purple and reluctantly shut up and followed Roff back to the house where I was staying with Elsa's family. Though the problem between the two had been solved, Roff had refused to move in with the family, said that it was fun to stay with other men, and Elsa would occasionally come and visit them. I didn't know why, but I was an exception to stay in the village. Soldiers were to stay in a different area. Elsa said she didn't want me to burn down the place, but I knew that wasn't the real reason. I could see it in her eyes.

"So how is the thing between you and Elsa?" Henry asked while we were in the living room of the house. Emma and Ander had gone out to play with other children and Gerda was in the kitchen after serving us some tea. I only stood in a corner, keeping a close eye on the two guests. One can never be too careful.

"Yeah, we sorted it out," Roff replied, taking a sip of the tea in his mug.

Jerome, the one who had been quiet from the first, finally spoke up, "So, did Elsa really kill those fire-slaves? How did she do it? Did she get any help?"

"Well, you can ask Mathias about that. He knows more than I do," Roff said, causing me to startle at the mention of my name.

"Mr. Watson, would you care to explain to us about it?" Henry asked.

"Mathias is fine, Highness," I said. "Queen Elsa had spent seventeen days in Arendelle, and had singlehandedly killed one-hundred and fifteen men in one night without any help then returned here the night later in a bad state and a broken blade. She did not sustain any major injury though, but she hadn't eaten properly in days and did not get any rest, so she collapsed in exhaustion and it took her nearly week to fully regain her strength."

"Did she tell you why she did it?" Jerome asked quietly.

"Her Majesty said she did it for revenge, Highness, though the specific reason I do not know for sure. She refused to reveal a single detail to me," I replied.

"Of course, how could Elsa tell you the real reason?" he whispered and bowed his head, arms crossed over his chest. Though in distance, I could see a tear sparkling in his eyes, but he managed to blink it away and hold it back.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Elsa stepped in, carrying her bow on her shoulder and the quiver with only a few arrows left hanging at her waist, hair sprawling on her shoulders and back. This time, luckily she didn't look like a disaster. "Uncle Roff, Cedric told me that there's someone who wishes to see me. Who is-" she suddenly paused as she caught the sight of Jerome sitting in the corner of the room. He only glanced up at her for a brief moment then quickly looked away to avoid the gaze she was placing upon him. Elsa stood frozen and stared at him for a long moment, not being able to form a word or make a move. But she quickly looked away from him and fixed her gaze upon Henry, eyes narrowed into a scowl. It seemed that the prince had managed to read what she was going to say.

"We've come without being noticed by Hans and his men as you requested, Elsa," Henry said quietly, enough for her to hear.

"I didn't think I was careless enough to make mistakes in my message and you're an intelligent man, Henry. I remember exactly what I've written in there," she said firmly.

"Aye, you told me to come here as quick as possible."

"And here I thought we've come to understand each other."

"Elsa-" Henry said, but the queen shot him a cold glare then strode out of the room. The prince rose from his seat and attempted to go after her, but Roff stopped him before he could, saying that even if he went after her, she wouldn't listen to him. Henry only sighed and reluctantly nodded to the old man. Jerome still sat quiet in a corner. I looked at Roff, expecting him to go after his niece and reason with her, but instead I found his gaze meeting mine, and I immediately understood what he wanted to say. So I slipped out of the room and exited the house through the back entrance in the kitchen, not forgetting to bid a goodbye to Gerda, and entered the woods behind our house, heading to where I knew Elsa would be. I'd been living with her for a couple of months, and this wasn't the first time the troubled woman had run away from her house when she was upset. Every time like this, there was a place nearby where she'd remain there until she had calmed down and could be able to return, or until someone managed to drag her back.

About her hide-away, it wasn't a secret cave hidden in the mountains or underground, or a place she'd built herself, and it was quite obvious, not very secret. But people rarely came there, and perhaps she could use the silence and peacefulness of the place to have time to adjust and clear her mind. The cliff stood high from the earth that the river flowing under it only looked like a blue ribbon curling itself into soft curves and ran through the woods. Strangely, I didn't found Elsa sitting on the large rock as usual, allowing the wind blowing and messing up her platinum hair and cerulean eyes gazing upon the distant misty mountain range remaining in the thick blanket of fog far, far away – the range of mountains bordering Arendelle with another country. Instead, she stood under the trunk of the tree, hand resting on its trunk, hanging her head with her eyes closed, shoulders slumped and the other hand fallen at her side, brows furrowed in deep thoughts. I'd never seen her being so troubled. From what I'd seen of her expression and figure, I could see that her mind was currently preoccupied, and knew that she shouldn't be disturbed at the time, so I attempted to go back and let her be for a moment. Roff and the two princes could wait.

"I know you're there, Mathias," Elsa said quietly, but enough for me to hear and enough to stop me on my track. I stiffened, but eventually relaxed a bit and took a few steps toward her.

"How do you know that it was me?"

"You smell ash and brimstone; it is unmistakable. I didn't hear footsteps coming this way, either; you're very light on your feet. And I know Uncle Roff won't trust anyone else to come after me, even Henry."

"Why won't he?"

"Because, as he always says and believes, only flame can ease the cold, and he knows if he sends Henry after me, I won't listen to him, if he comes himself, I'd likely shoo him away, and sending Jerome after me is the worst choice ever. Are you satisfied with my answer?"

"Yes, I believe that's very specific. So, you sent for two princes of the Southern Isles here? Can you explain the relation you have with the Isles? I think I'm confused here because obviously, they're the ones who took your kingdom away from you."

"I think Kristoff has mentioned this part when he told you the main story. The Southerners never wanted war upon us, only their king and youngest prince. Alfonse wants Arendelle because it's a rich land full of natural resources, and Hans wants my family because he desires for revenge upon us. We have good relations with the rest of the brothers. Henry and Jerome are our… close allies, or at least Jerome was."

"You know, your uncle has assigned me to protect Prince Jerome today, because he fears that you could jump in and murder him. Why is that? If Jerome is a good friend of yours, why would you want to kill him?"

This time, Elsa chuckled lightly. She opened her eyes to reveal the beautiful colour of her cerulean blue orbs, but still refused to bring them to meet my gaze. "Perhaps my uncle has exaggerated too much. And I don't blame him. I just slaughtered one-hundred and fifteen men by my own hands and blades. It's not unusual at all when he's anxious about it. But no, I wouldn't kill Jerome. I can't bring the gut to kill him no matter how much I hate him, or what he's done."

"So, what exactly did he do?" I asked, and regretted a little as I saw Elsa stiffened at my question, eyes widening.

"The problem here is, he didn't do anything," she replied.

"What?" I narrowed my eyes, wondering if I'd heard it correctly or not.

"That's why I'm angry at him. He didn't do anything," Elsa said, the hand she was resting on the trunk clenched into a tight fist. "He didn't do anything!" she repeated, growling in her throat. "He didn't do anything and simply watched one of his siblings being killed right in front of his eyes! That coward didn't even speak up a word to defend his own family. He simply stood there and watched as his family was tortured and killed. He said that he was a friend of Arendelle, but he stood and watched it fall, not doing anything." Elsa screamed angrily and slammed both of her fists against the tree, tears streaming down her cheeks and jaw line, rolling down her slender neck, her shoulder quivered a mile a minute in her sobs. I could hear her whispering something to herself quietly, but from where I was standing, I couldn't manage to listen to what she was saying clearly, but I swear I'd heard the word 'brother' and the name Alex again, which caused me to again wonder who this 'Alex' was that she and other people mentioned this person so many time over and over again. Gerda said Alex was a member of their family who was killed when Arendelle was taken, and he must be very important to the queen that she'd risked her own life to revenge for him. But I shouldn't push at the matter this time. I wanted so badly to envelope her into a hug and soothe her, comfort her, but I knew my boundaries. Though I'd reached the point of becoming a close friend to Elsa, she was still the queen, and it wouldn't be appropriate. And who said nobody would know? I would, Elsa would, and the Heaven and Earth would know. Now I understood what Tom had said to me earlier. For a new guy like me, for a soldier and a friend, I seemed to be very protective and concerned for Elsa. Some other soldiers would often asked me how was my relationship with her going, and my answer would always be 'We're just friends', but now I thought that they were right when they said that we were more than friends. Maybe I had come to consider her as a family of my own? Or maybe it was something more than that? I noticed that I often felt a wave of heat rushing in my stomach every time I was with her, and I recognised it was the same feeling I felt in me when I met her the first time in my dreams, and for a brief moment when I met her the first time in reality. Emma had told me that this would be an adventure for both, and it had really been quite an adventure. But she also said I would find true love.

_No, this is absurd. It cannot be_, I thought to myself. But the more I denied it to myself and to everyone the more wrong I felt.

I waited for her to calm down, and only spoke up again as I saw her body had relaxed, her fists unclenched and her tears had stopped, though I couldn't say she was completely relaxed. Elsa leaned her forehead against the tree and rested both her hands on its trunk on each of her sides, eyes red because of crying and were closed.

"Have you ever considered why he didn't do anything?" I asked quietly. Elsa's eyes snapped open and she frowned.

"No," she finally replied, almost a whisper.

"Elsa, this has happened before. Your prejudice and misjudgment toward Roff has torn you two apart for more than twenty years. It was all because you were too stubborn to accept the truth and forgive him. This is no different. What if he couldn't speak up and defend his brother? What if he wanted badly to stand up for him, but he couldn't? And let's see it in Jerome's perspective. Have you any idea how much helpless and heartbreaking he was when he was forced to stand and watch them kill his brother? And would the guilt stop haunting him for all these times? No, I think he's still blaming himself for his brother's death, and you, Elsa, you're fueling the fire even more. This would only make this worse, Elsa. You know what happened last time and the consequences. Don't let the history reoccur."

* * *

I opened the back door for her to step in. When we entered, we found Henry and Roff were in the kitchen talking to Gerda. As they noticed our presence, all eyes turned to us and Henry immediately rose from his seat to face Elsa. Not speaking a word, she rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around the prince, pulling him into a hug, which surprised me a little, and I think that I felt a little uncomfortable as they lingered a little too long.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those words to you. I know you meant nothing bad," Elsa mumbled, burying her face into his chest, the top of her head barely reached his chin.

"It's alright, Elsa. I know bringing Jerome would be a shock to you," Henry said then untangled her arms around him. "Go," he said, and Elsa seemed to understand his silent message. She nodded in respond and gave him a small smile. He returned her smile and leaned down to press a soft kiss on her forehead, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear then titled his head toward the kitchen door leading to the living room, gesturing her to go. Once the door was closed and we were certain that Elsa was out of earshot, Roff immediately turned toward me and ask,

"Mathias Watson!" he said. "Just how did you manage to convince her and drag her back here?"

* * *

Elsa entered – or re-entered – the living room to find Jerome sitting at the head of the table, facing the fire-place, eyes staring into the flame which she knew who had created and arms crossed against his chest. He had noticed her presence, but didn't flinch. The two remained in silence, Elsa staring at him and he staring at the fire, neither of them spoke a word, because one couldn't be able form a word and one couldn't gather the courage to say the word his brain was shouting.

"It has been a long time since we last met," Jerome finally decided to break the awkward silence between them.

"Yes, it has indeed. But I'm staying in the woods doesn't mean I've lost track of time. I think I'm very well aware of it so there's no need to remind me about that, Jerome," Elsa said firmly and closed the door behind her, taking a few steps forward.

"You killed more than a hundred men by yourself," Jerome said.

"The information is correct," Elsa nodded; her expression a blank. "That is what I've done, and I think it's quite fitting, don't you think? They'd killed many lives, so I simply sentenced them to the punishment they deserved – death. I'm still the rightful queen of Arendelle, after all."

"I know what your birthright is. But that's not really the point I was aiming for."

"Then what is it?"

"You've changed, Elsa. Last time we met, you didn't even dare to hurt a single fly."

"Time changes people, Jerome. I may have changed into a different person, I can be in some point worse than I was before; I have been through more than even I could imagine, but it shaped my person, made me stronger. I'm no longer that weak woman anymore."

"You know that it wasn't your fault you couldn't protect them."

"It takes _two_, and I believe you know it _very_ well," Elsa arched eyebrow at the prince.

Another moment of silence enveloped them yet again.

"Why did you do it?" Elsa asked quietly, biting her lip gently.

"What?" Jerome said, though in fact he knew what she was implying.

"You were there that night. You saw what Hans… and Hayden did. You saw what those fire-slaves did to them, to _me_. They were _your_ family, Jerome. And you just simply stood there and watch what Hans did to me, what he and Hayden did to them. That's your _twin brother _they tormented! You saw what they did to Alex. If you betrayed us or helped us, it could be considered as an action, but here you did nothing. You didn't even say a word. Why, Jerome? Why? Tell me! Tell me why," Elsa said, almost at the point of pleading, her voice quivering and tears streaming down her cheeks, the coldness and frigidity in her voice disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Jerome bit his bottom lip and lowered his head. "I know what my brothers did. I saw how they were killed. I know what Hans did to you. It tears my heart into thousands of pieces just to think about it. And why didn't I do or say something? Honestly, I didn't know what I was thinking at the time. I guess I was scared. I was a coward at the time. I was a coward who didn't even dare to speak up and defend his own family. I could see the eyes of my brother. I didn't do anything and just watched as Hans and Alfonse did horrible things to you three. I guess I was so selfish at the time. If I spoke up and defend you, Hans could have killed me. I have my family back at home. But I've forgotten that you have family, too, and you're my family, and I should have stood up for my brother. He was my best friend. We shared almost everything, feature, burdens, hell even a womb! You had a twin, so you must understand how it feels to lose your twin brother, to see him being killed right in front of your eyes. I know I'm guilty with you, with my brother – with Alex, and with Arendelle. I love him, I love you all. You're my family. And yet I betrayed you. My cowardice had caused harm to you all…" Jerome paused with a gulp. He couldn't be able to continue anymore. He choked; tears welled in his eyes and rolled down his rough cheeks in long lines. The prince buried his head in his hand and sobbed quietly. He was too deep in thoughts, too deep in guilt and regret that he hadn't been able to realise a pair of comforting arms wrapping around him until a few moments later, and he instinctively hugged her back. Elsa tried to fight the urge not to cry at first, but she couldn't stop the tears. It had always been hard to hold them back, and it wasn't the time to hole them, it was the time to let them go.

"I'm sorry, Elsa. I'm so sorry. God, I'm so sorry," Jerome said, repeating it over and over again like a prayer, burying his face into her slender shoulder and tightening his arms around her. Elsa could feel his hot tears through the thin layer of fabric of her shirt, and could feel the honest and guilt in his trembling voice. Her expression softened. This had happened between her and her uncle once before, and it had torn her family apart for more than two decades.

They wouldn't be happy to see this family parting again. They wouldn't want it, and Elsa knew it.

"It's alright, Jerome, it's alright," Elsa whispered. "I forgive you… I forgive you… We're family, aren't we? And families are supposed to forgive. Isn't that what your brother always said? You're my brother, and I forgive you… for everything."

"I love you, Els," Jerome said, shocking the young queen, but a small smile crossed her lips, for she knew someone who had gone forever would be happy to hear the words escaping his mouth and to hear the reply coming from her lips.

"I love you, too, Jerry," she said softly. They stayed there for a long moment, the two holding each other in a teary reunion. After what felt like forever, they untangled from their embrace and Elsa sat back in a chair to face him.

"So how are Caroline and the kids? How are the others doing? I haven't heard much about you guys since… you know…" Elsa asked.

"We're doing fine," Jerome said. "Well, actually Noah hasn't come home for almost three years. But I've heard that he sometimes visited you. He and Alex got along quite well."

"Yes, they did. Has any woman caught Henry's eyes yet?"

"I don't know. He's thirty-six and just single like that," he shrugged, "So what about you, Sister? You can't stay like this forever. And what's about your recruit? Where did you find him? He's exactly like…"

"I know who he looks like. And I didn't find him anywhere, he just appears from nowhere."

"Then why did you keep him here with you? I thought-"

"Yes, I know. I thought he was, too. All of us did. But he isn't, unfortunately. When God has taken someone from us, he isn't very likely willing to return them back. Only Roff thought he was a fire-slave. I think had the old man not mistaken and suspected from the first, Mathias wouldn't got here."

"Hold on, you mean he-?"

"Wields fire? Yes, he does. Though I really wanted to kick him back to the hole where he crawled out from, he sometimes brings back painful memories, but I couldn't. That's why I keep him, and to make sure that he doesn't burn the place down and do something silly, I keep him here so I can have a close eye on him. But he's a good man. He won't cause any harm or trouble, or at least not yet. Do you remember what I've told you once before?"

"The troll's prophercy… You think he's _the one_?"

"Pabbie has confirmed it. There is no mistaking."

"What was stolen must be returned. So the time has come?"

"Not yet, but let's hope that it will soon," Elsa sighed heavily and remained silent for a few minutes. "Do you…" she hesitated, "Do you know what happened after… I mean… did…" she gulped, "Did Hans and Alfonse… Were they buried p-properly?"

Jerome hesitated for a seconds. There were calculations in his eyes. He had opened his mouth to respond her but closed it instantly, knowing that he could never lie to her, since she knew him very well. But he didn't know how to tell the truth, so the prince simply shook his head, not daring to look up to the queen's crestfallen gaze and the tears welling in her eyes. And he couldn't even manage to soothe her when she again broke into tears or even give her a comforting hug or telling her a consoling word. They continued to talk after a few moments when Elsa had managed to adjust herself, reviewing the memories they shared about the lost ones and the remaining ones, the old times they'd had when Arendelle was still in its golden age. We didn't know what they'd talked about, but when we entered the room, they seemed to get along quite well, and Henry was overjoyed. He laughed happily and wrapped the two of them in a crushing hug, saying that he was blissful to see the two had made their peace with each other again. Elsa, Roff and the two princes sat down and talked with each other, while I just stood in a dark corner and watched them conversing. I was happy to see uncle and niece bonding with each other, friends and friends getting along, but I couldn't help but frown and feeling uncomfortable at how much happy Elsa was with the two princes, and how much close they were with each other. I didn't know why, but I pushed the thoughts aside and stood my guard, silently telling myself that perhaps I was overreacting with all.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Emma rushed in. She was about to say – or shout – something, but seeing the people in there, she quickly said a hello. As she saw the younger prince of the Southern Isles, her eyes lit up and lips curled into a broad grin. She rushed toward him and tugged at his arm.

"Mathias! You have got to come out with us! The kids want to see your powers and I just couldn't refuse them!" Emma said in a rush and pulled Jerome out of his seat, shocking him and the rest of us that we didn't even have time to flinch.

"Hey!" the poor prince exclaimed, trying to free himself from her grip and to stop her from dragging him away.

"Emma!" I shouted, causing the girl to halt and spun around to see who was calling her. When she saw me standing in the corner, her mouth fell open and her eyes widened.

"What? But you're-" she looked back at Jerome, and when she met his eyes, she realised that he wasn't me, so she released him. "You're not Mathias… But you two… You two look exactly like!" she gasped. "How… I mean, how is this possible? You're identical… well, except for your eyes, but you… you look like twins! Wait, if you're not Mathias, then… who are you?" Her gaze fell upon Henry. She shrieked and hid behind Jerome, pointing at the older prince, "You… You look like Hans! What is one of the Westerguards doing here? Elsa, Mathias, why aren't you doing something? He's a _Southerner_!" But when she saw everyone in the room was completely calm and put, she frowned and straightened herself up, both hands resting on her hips. "I think I'm missing something here? Who are these two? And why is _a Westerguard_ in here, in _this _room? No, in fact, why did the guards even let them pass the gates? And _the Captain of the Guards is here!_ Roff, what were you thinking, old man? And how comes that you look exactly like Mathias?"

"Well, first of all, I'm Jerome and that's my brother, Henry. We're the princes of the Southern Isles. And not the whole Isles are Arendelle's enemy, lass. Only our oldest and youngest brothers are. We are friends of Elsa – well, more than friends," Jerome explained. "And about the fact that your friend and I are identical, I've no idea. I guess everyone has a twin somewhere in the world."

"Or in another time," Emma mumbled. "So, that means they're good guys?" she asked, turning to Elsa and Roff. They nodded without any hesitance. "Great!" the girl exclaimed, "There's nothing to worry now, right? Oh, right! Mathias! We need you! Come on, big guy!"

"Fine," I rolled my eyes, "I'm coming." I followed the little girl outside. Before reaching the door, I halted and turned back to look at Elsa, silently asking for her permission, and she nodded with a smile, gesturing me to go after Emma. When I exited the house, I found Kristoff returning with Ander, and I only got a chance to nod him a hello before I was dragged away by an exciting Emma

* * *

Prince Henry and Prince Jerome didn't stay long. They planned to leave after a few hours, and what had surprised me was that Kristoff and Roff were coming along with them. First, I thought I had mistaken, but seeing Kristoff saying goodbye to his son and family had confirmed that my eyes did not betray me. Frowning, I walked over to them. Elsa was currently busy talking to her uncle and the two princes, so I made my way toward Kristoff, who was loading his belongings into the sled.

"Are you leaving?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Yes. We'll be back in a couple of days, hopefully," he shrugged.

"Where will you be going? And please don't tell me you and Roff are going to Arendelle."

"Actually, we are."

"What?"

"We're not planning on killing anyone, Mathias. Most of the guards are Arendellian, and they had a hand to help Elsa escape the palace so I think they'll be able to help us, too. But I think we'll have to take down some Southerner soldiers standing in our way."

"I'm not sure I follow. What exactly is your purpose down there?"

"I'm going to rescue my wife, Mathias."

My eyes widened at this. They were going to bring Princess Anna back? That meant if they succeeded, it would be a _huge_ opportunity to strike Arendelle and reclaim their kingdom. This was a shock, and at the same time good news.

"Jerome knows where they keep Anna," Kristoff continued. "He's given us her location. He and Henry will help to get me and Roff into and out the palace. Besides that, we're on our own. But Roff knows the place well, and I know the entrances and exits, shortcuts to sneak us out of the keep and return here as soon as possible."

I frowned, "Can we trust the two of them?"

"Relax, Mathias. They're not as bad as you think. They're family to us. You're the new guy here. You don't know anything about them."

"Aye, and that's what I'm worried about," I said then glanced over my shoulder. Elsa shared a hug with her uncle, whispering something into his ears that seemed like a goodbye then turned toward Henry, who gave her a hug, too, and kissed her forehead. She eventually turned to Jerome, embracing him and let him plant a kiss on her cheek. I scowled. I didn't trust the two of them completely, though everyone said they were good men, and I didn't like them much, though they seemed friendly.

The party – Henry, Jerome, Roff and Kristoff – soon departed and headed to the south, where the kingdom of Arendelle lay beneath the misty mountain and facing the open sea. Elsa brought Ander to the front of the gates and the two of them stood watching the four men disappearing into the distance, silently praying that they would return with their princess, their sister and mother.

* * *

A/N: Please tell me that you love it. It took very much effort to finish this, and I hope that you appreciate it. So, Mathias doesn't trust these two princes. Is he right? And Anna – the character we all have been waiting for – is expected to return in the next chapter. I'll try to post chapter 12 as soon as possible, and in this chapter, my dear readers, many secrets will be revealed. I've left many hints in the previous chapters. And _marvelousgameofdisneythrones_, we will confirm your predictions in chapter 12. Let's see what the answer shall be. And _shebad_, you just have to wait and see. I may be a spoiler, I may be not. I understand that you love some romance. I do, too. Keep following and we'll see whether I'm going to spoil you or not.

Anyway, guys, PLEASE check out my other story, _The Legacy of the Father_. I really – I mean _really_ – need support at the mean time. Too few people read and review. And I'm not a very patient person.

Read & Review for BOTH STORIES!

Love you all,

Phuong


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

I found Elsa sitting under the oak at the cliff in the golden light of the morning, back leaning against the trunk of the tree, shoulder slumped and eyes staring at the ball of fire glowing on the sky. This wasn't the first time I'd seen her like this since her brother and uncle were gone. It had been six days and the two of them had not yet returned, a day later than the time she'd anticipated. Elsa had been anxious. The woman could barely eat, for she couldn't swallow any food until the worriment had vanished; she could barely sleep, for the fear for her uncle and brother's safety kept haunting her. Gerda, Emma, Ander and I had tried our best to reassure her that the two of them would make it, that they would be able to bring her sister back, but it didn't seem to help much. I hardly heard a word escaping her lips, and Elsa would often come here to be on her own, isolating herself in her own troubled world and shutting everyone out. Elsa hadn't been getting any rest for days, and the dark purple circle under her tiring and troubled eyes, her rosy cheeks turning blue and hollow yet again. Elsa couldn't sleep not only because she was anxious for Roff, Kristoff and Anna. Nightmares had something to do with her not being able to get any rest she needed.

On the second night, when I was standing at the watch with another soldier about a few ages younger than me, Oliver and the guard was complaining about having to stand there while he wanted to be with his wife and newborn daughter. And Elsa just suddenly showed up like a ghost in her dark hooded cloak, holding a small lamp with a dim little orange fire, startling us both.

"You can go, Oliver," Elsa said before the two of us could speak up.

"Majesty," Oliver bowed.

Elsa chuckled, "You don't have to address me that way, and I believe you know it, your family has been close friends to mine. Go home with your wife and children, Ollie. Rachel would be very glad to see you."

"But I am to stand guard at the watch tonight, Majesty," Oliver said, but Elsa raised a hand to prevent him from saying anything else.

"I can stand guard at the watch for you tonight. Now, listen to your queen – since you keep insisting on calling me that – and come home with your wife and daughter. They're waiting for you. Family above all, Oliver," Elsa stated firmly. "The country and queen can come after."

"But Captain Roff-" he protested.

"Is my uncle, and I'm sure he'd gladly let me take the shift for you," she said with a smile. "Besides, I've already told Rachel that you're coming home tonight. I'm a woman of my word."

"She has a point, you know. Rachel will be very happy to be with you," I said to him. "And as for Elsa, I think she'll be alright. Your queen is stronger than you think. And she's ordered you to go home with your family, so do as she says."

This time, a broad mischievous grin tugged at the corners of his lips as he glanced back and forth at me and Elsa before turning to me, winking, I arched an eyebrow in surprise at his gesture. He then looked back at Elsa and bowed to her. "If Her Majesty has ordered, I won't dare to disobey," he said then straightened himself up. Oliver nudged me playfully, mouthing a 'have fun'. I frowned and gave him a confusing look, silently asking what he meant but he simply shrugged and patted my shoulder before heading out.

"By the way, Oliver," Elsa called out, causing the guard to stop and turn around to face her. Elsa smiled softly and said, "Your daughter is beautiful, Oliver. Congratulations to you and Rachel."

"Thank you… Elsa," Oliver said and eagerly continued to head back to his home with his beautiful wife and newborn daughter, in a small wooden cottage filled with the blissful warmth of a dim fire and love. Elsa watched with saddened eyes as he went until the soldier had disappeared out of sight.

"You didn't come here just to let Oliver be with his family, did you?" I asked. "And I know you didn't tell Rachel. I know she won't let you do it." Elsa sighed and whirled around but eyes still refused to meet mine.

"No, I didn't," she shook her head slightly, eyes downcast, pausing for a moment, rubbing one of her foreams with her hand. "I couldn't sleep. The nightmares keep haunting me with horrible images of Kristoff and Roff getting killed and terrible memories. I didn't want to disturb Gerda or Emma or Ander. I shouldn't bother them. I don't know what has brought me here, either. I could have just gone to the cliff again and stay there until dawn, but I just found myself coming here… I-" Elsa sighed and leaned her back against the wattle, running a hand through her platinum locks. "I don't know what I'm doing here."

"I know," I said.

"Oh," Elsa let out a sarcastically laugh and looked at me mockingly, "Do you now? Then, what do you know, Mathias? You know nothing about me."

"Oh but I do," I crossed my arms. "You're very good at hiding your true emotion, Elsa. But unfortunately, tonight you aren't. What is bothering you? You look troubled, and _do not_ tell me that it's nothing."

Elsa looked out at the distance, toward the south, and inhaled deeply the scent of the air of an autumn night, feeling a small breeze caressing her skin and brushing against her hair. "You're right, Mathias" she said quietly. "There is something that is bothering me."

"What is that?" I asked, unfolding my arms, my expression softened.

"If you've experienced the feelings to lose somebody you love more than the world itself, you'd probably understand my feelings now. When you've lost someone you love, you will do anything to protect the others and keep them from harm, always worry about their sakes," Elsa said, closing her eyes and I understood what she was meaning immediately.

"They'll return. They will," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder

"How do you know they will, Mathias? How can you be so sure? You have no clue, no evidence."

This time I went silent. She was right, she had a point – I had no evidence to be certain that Roff and Kristoff would make it and rescue Princess Anna. I didn't know what to tell her. I almost told her that she needed to have faith and think positively, but I knew Elsa wouldn't buy it, she'd listened to the sentence for the milionth time and it wouldn't help. I removed my hand from her shoulder and withdrew it back to my side, deciding that keeping silence was the best solution. No matter what I said at the time, it wouldn't do anything to prevent the situation. Elsa would still be frustrated and anxious, she would still worry about the three of them and it wouldn't stop until they'd returned safely.

"I've lost my family before, forced to watch them die slowly and painfully in front of my eyes," she said, almost as whispering but enough for me to hear. She bit her lip and swallowed her tears, bringing a hand to her abdomen, which had become a strange habit of hers whenever the war was mentioned that had confused me. "When they were killed, I had thought of ending my life with the blade in my hand to end my mysery. And I could grant me that favour very easily with the dagger in my hand. But I had to live for Ander, for Kristoff, for the rest of my family, for Anna was still alive, waiting to see me again and my people need me to guide them in this time. So I stood up and continued to live, but I've been living miserably, in the shame, the grief and pain eating out my soul every single day of my life, every hour, every second, I feel myself dead already… You have always questioned what has changed me into the person I am now. That's the answer, Mathias. Jerome had said before, I didn't even dare to raise my hand at anybody or to hurt a tiny fly. But after what I'd been forced to see and to suffer, I've decided that the time for me to be weak and vunerable and merciful was gone. The world shows no mercy to us humans. God won't protect us or the ones we love. We're on our own, always. It's always us to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

"Now Kristoff and Roff – two other members of my family – have thrown themselves in danger again, and I was the one to let them go so easily. No matter what you and the people say, Mathias, I will still feel responsible if any harm comes to them. I'm not sure if I can continue to live anymore if they died. And it is agony for me. I can't die because I'm still the queen, the people looks to me, I still have a kingdom and a crown to reclaim; and I still have to have my revenge on someone, it's a blood oath," she showed me the scar in the palm of her hand where she'd marked her vow. "But if I continue to live, it won't be any different to dead, because I will continue to live in the shadows of my grief and the scar of my past, because those horrible memories will forever haunt me until the day I die. So, in conclusion, if I die, I will abandon thousands or lives counting on me, but if I live, it cannot be considered as living." Elsa snorted and laughed bitterly at her fate, at the difficulties she was facing.

We simply stood silent for, neither speaking a word or spare a glance toward each other, but we had thoroughly understood the other's feelings. The following nights our conversation had turned into more pleasant ones. Elsa continued to come to me every night, which had somehow become a routine for both of us, and had a talk with me and the other soldiers standing guard with me, but they always found some way to leave us alone. I found it annoying and irritating at first, but eventually I was grateful that they had let us be alone with each other, though I would create a hole on their clothes for teasing us. Elsa would stay with me and talk throughout the night until dawn, but our conversation would end at some point when there was a subject she wanted to avoid, then we would remain silent or change the subject. Only when my night shift at the watch ended would we part into two differents ways and say our goodbyes, though I noticed that we usually lingered for a moment or two. I enjoyed her company and talking with her. I got to know her and understand her more.

"You know, if you came along with them – which I meant the party headed to Arendelle to save Princess Anna – I wouldn't let you go," I said to her in the third night when we were alone.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"I don't think I can trust you in the hand of the two princes of the Southern Isles," I admitted.

Elsa sighed, "Mathias, how many time do I have to tell you this again? Henry, Jerome and the rest of the Southern Isles except for Alfonse and Hans are allies of Arendelle. The Westerguards are _family_! Not every Westerguard is bad! You know nothing about us."

"Aye, that's the problem. I don't know anything about them. I've no clue, nothing to be sure that they're good and reliable people."

"You said that you've come to consider my family as your own. The Westerguards are family. If you don't trust the Westerguard, that means you don't trust me, either, or Kristoff, Ander, Gerda and Anna!"

"I didn't mean that," I mumbled.

"Then how am I supposed to take it?" Elsa rolled her eyes and sighed, "Look, you… Don't question anymore, alright? Please… There are things that you don't need to know… yet. Someday you will, someday but… but not now. It's not that I don't trust you. It-It's just… I'm not ready for this. This isn't the right time."

"That's alright," I sighed. "I'll wait until the right time comes." Elsa nodded and gave me a faint smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"So," I asked, tempting to break the awkward silence between us a few minutes later, "You seem to be very fond of Henry, and Jerome."

"What do you mean? Ah, I see what you're aiming here. No, it's not what you think it is," Elsa chuckled. "Jerome is married and has three beautiful children. I adore and love them as my own children. Henry is single, but he doesn't feel about me that way, and I'm not his type. He always teases me for being… boring. But they love me as a sister they never have and I love him like how I love Kristoff and Einar."

"Oh," I said, exhaling a small sigh of relief, though I didn't know why. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed."

"No, it's alright. But why do you care?" she asked. I startled at her question, feeling a deep shade of red rising up my cheeks.

"I was only curious," I said, glancing away.

"Oh, so that's why," Elsa said. I could sense disappointments within her voice, but couldn't fathom why.

"It's strange, right? That Prince Jerome and I are almost to the point… identical," I said, frowing, and this time it was Elsa's turn to jump at my question, a hint of sadness showing in her eyes.

"Everyone has their twin somewhere in the world," she repeated Jerome's words. "I think it's just a coincidence."

I nodded, knowing that she was half telling me the truth, half not, but didn't want to dig into the matter at the moment anymore, so I changed the subject, but the question kept playing in my mind for the rest of the night. I knew it wasn't my place, but I felt like I deserved the truth, and Elsa was hiding it from me. I had always wanted to badly to question her about it, forcing her to reveal it to me. I didn't know what secret she was holding from me, but I knew it was important and I needed to know.

But all of that didn't matter at the moment when I saw her like this. She was frustrated. Kristoff, Roff and Anna were supposed to return since yesterday, but there had been no sign of them yet.

Elsa let out the probably milionth sigh in the day and lazily glanced over her shoulder to look at me for a brief moment, acknowledging my presence then turned away quickly. I exhaled deeply and walked over to her, taking the seat beside her under the tree, my shoulder only a few inches apart from hers.

"You're alright?" I asked quietly.

"Do you have to ask?" she mumbled.

"I know. It was a stupid question to ask," I said with a sigh.

"I thought you're supposed to be with Emma and her friends now."

"I am, but I think you might want to use some company."

"You should go and have fun with her, or go home and rest. You don't get a whole day off very often, especially when you're here. Go and get some rest. You already worked hard this week. Should anyone request for your presence, I'll tell them to let you be, they'll understand. You stood guard at the watch the whole week, you deserve the rest."

"And you've been here since yesterday morning, or at least that's what I've been told. You didn't come to me last night and I was worried. If I could, I would have come and look for you," I said, Elsa went silent. "You shouldn't worry too much."

"They're supposed to return yesterday."

"They probably stopped for a rest on the way. Plus, you forgot to count a day of preparations. If they wanted to succeed – which actually they have to, they'd have to be well prepared. You spent more than a week to investigate and prepare for your plan, didn't you?"

"I didn't think about that," she said quietly, eyes glinting with a spark of hope.

"Of course you didn't. You were too busy worrying nonsense," I said with a hint of playfulness in my voice.

"Hey, who told me that I was right to worry?" she protested.

"Ah, ah, ah, I told you that you were right to worry, not to worry about nonsense," I smirked, thankful that I had been able to change the subject into a more pleasant one and cheer her up for a moment. Elsa chuckled lightly and relaxed, bringing her knees to her chest.

"So, I notice that you come here quite often. I must say, the view here is spectacular," I commented.

"It is," Elsa said with a faint smile.

"The two mountains over there," I pointed at the two mountains standing beside each other alone in the north-east, "They look like a couple."

"Yes, they do," she whispered.

"What about the mountain range far away there?"

"The mountain range over there is the border between Arendelle and Evansdale. The lands of Arendelle first only reached the delta over there, but four years ago our border has expanded further north and east. In the west is Wesselton, a powerful nation in the region. We haven't been able to step a foot into their lands. If we conquer Wesselton, Arendelle will be the most prosperous and powerful nation in the north. We'll gain a large amount of natural resources, plus, we have a great alliance with many powerful countries such as Corona, the Southern Isles, Scotland, England, France, Italy, Spain and Persian."

"Wait, Scotland, England, France, Italy, Spain, Persian," I frowned. "All these nations…"

"What about them?" she asked.

"They… They exist in my world," I said. "That means this land… Arendelle, Corona, Wesselton and the Southern Isles, they're all real. But in my time, none of them exist in the map. None of us have ever heard of these names."

Elsa's eyes widened in shock and she stayed silent, head bowing low, her lips quivering. From the look in her eyes, I could tell that something was wrong… very wrong.

"Elsa? Elsa, what's wrong?" I asked.

"It-It's nothing," she said, glancing away.

"No," I shook my head and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't do that. Tell me what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, y-you didn't," she said. "It's just that- If we come from the same world but only different time, and you haven't heard of these names before… that means… in the future, Arendelle, Corona, the Southern Isles and Wesselton… we'll either be destroyed or…" Elsa gulped, "Wiped off the map."

"What?" I gasped. I was about to say more, but suddenly, Emma stumbled out from the bush and into our sight, panting heavily, face flushed and dripped with sweats, probably had been running. Elsa and I both stood up immediately after the young girl's unexpected arrival.

"Emma, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah," she panted. "Just… let me… catch my… breath… Alright, there's nothing wrong. There are some news, but not bad news, good news actually, which I think you'll love to hear. And I'm here to tell you the news. I've just run here at full speed and I swear my legs are becoming helly now…"

"Emma, what are you trying to say? Spit it out already," I snapped.

"Oh, right, yes, I forgot. Kristoff and Roff have returned but they brought some talkative redhead woman with them. And Roff sent me to tell you so… now I'm here!"

Elsa's eyes widened at this. She looked back at me to see I was as much shocked as she was. She turned back to Emma and asked her to repeat it, and Elsa did not mishear it at all. Her eyes sparkled with joy, and without a word she rushed back to the village as fast as the wind. Emma stared at her in shock and turned to me.

"Why is she in such a hurry?" she asked. I only laughed.

"Come on, we gotta go back!" I exclaimed.

"What? I'm exhausted! You go ahead, I'll catch up later," Emma said.

* * *

I arrived at the village to see Elsa embracing a woman probably a few years younger than her with strawberry blonde hair and the same cerulean eyes like her sister while Kristoff and Roff stood and watched the two women with broad grins and happiness filling in their eyes. I assumed it was Princess Anna. She looked… well, she didn't look very good. Her clothes were filthy and old, her hair was almost a mess and there were dark circles under her eyes, tears streaming on her cheeks. But those weren't tears of sorrow or agony – they were tears of joy and happiness to reunite with her family. The two women only released each other when they heard the sound of little Ander screaming at the top of his lungs the words he'd been desiring to speak to the woman he'd been desiring to meet, the desire burning in him like the thirst of a man walking in the middle of the scorching desert hadn't had a drop of water to drink in days.

"Mama!" he cried, rushing toward his mother, "Mama!"

"Ander!" the princess called out. Mother and son came to each other, calling for each other, bursting out in tears. Ander threw himself into his mother's lap and cried his eyes out, his mother kissed him rapidly on every inch of his face, stroking his hair and caressing his face, taking in every of her son's figure.

"Oh God, Ander!" she cried, "I've missed you so much! God, I've missed you so much, my boy! Look at you! You've grown so much!"

"I've missed you, too, Mama!" the boy buried his face into his mother's chest, sobbing his heart out.

"Hush, my child. I'm here, Andy. I'm home with you," Anna said in tears, stroking her son's hair. "I'm here now, and I'm never going anywhere _ever_ again!"

"You promise?" he asked.

"_I swear!_" Anna said and kissed her son's forehead. "I swear, Ander! I swear! I swear on my own life, on my honour that I would never leave you again! I love you, Ander James Bjorgman, more than anything in the world! I love you, my boy! I love you!"

"I love you, too, Mama," he sobbed. "I love you, too, _so much!_"

When the two finally managed to untangle themselves from each other and when the princess's eyes fell upon me, she inhaled a sharp gasp and covered her mouth with her hands, eyes widening in complete shock.

"James?" Anna whispered. "_James!_" she cried out and rushed toward me, throwing her arms around my neck with such force that I almost stumbled backwards had I not managed to keep my balance.

"Oh God, you're alive! I knew Hans had been lying all the time! You're alive! Where's Alex? How is she? Where's the baby? Is it boy or girl? What did you name it?" she threw a string of questions at me. I immediately jerked away from her grip and frowned, shocking her.

"James, what's wrong?" Anna asked. "Don't you recognise me? It's me, Anna, your sister-in-law! I'm home! You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine, in one piece! James, what is wrong?"

"Princess Anna, Your Highness, I'm not James!" I said.

"What?" Anna exclaimed, staring at me with wide eyes for a moment and looked back at her family, frowning. I looked at Elsa with confusing eyes to see her standing frozen, her expression didn't show any surprise, but instead in her eyes there were only grief, sorrow and an undescribable pain.

"Elsa?" Anna said. "Elsa, what's going on here? Where is James? Where is Alex?" she demanded. But getting silence as an answer from her sister, she turned sharply toward her husband and uncle. "Uncle, Kristoff, what are you two not telling me? What are you all hiding from me? Where are the King and Princess of Arendelle?" she shouted, looking at the people around.

Elsa's gaze didn't meet her sister's, but it met mine. She glanced away quickly as her eyes met my questioning gaze and she rushed away, pushing past the people gathering into a crowd.

"Anna," Kristoff said quietly, walking toward his wife and resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't you Anna me!" she hissed. "Where are they? Hans told me that he killed the two of them right in front of her! Please tell me that he's been lying to me all the time. Please tell me my brother-in-law and niece are still alive and in one piece!"

Kristoff hesitated for a moment before replying his wife quietly in a low voice, almost like whispering. I didn't know what he'd said, because from where I'd been standing, I couldn't hear them, but whatever news the princess had received from her husband had hit her hard. The princess broke down on her knees and cried. Her husband and uncle, even the people, had gathered around and try to console her. I didn't know what happened next, because I'd already come after another person.

* * *

I stood in front of the door of her room, raising my fist hesitantly, not knowing if I should knock or not. She'd never allowed anyone in, and I wasn't sure if she'd let me in or not. But I had to speak to her.

I placed a soft knock on the door but didn't hear any answer. I knew she was in there. I followed the trail of ice she'd left and it led here.

Gathering all my courage, I opened the door and stepped in, breathing sharply as I saw the room covered in ice, but not the ice like at her ice palace – this ice was the colour of black and dark blue. Everything in the room was iced over, ice spikes rising from the base of the walls, pointing at the ceiling. The room was perhaps a few degrees under zero. It was bitterly cold in there.

Elsa sat in her bed, her back leaning against the headboard. She didn't even flinch or spare me a single glance when I came in. Taking a deep breath, I took a few steps toward her.

"I know you'd come," she said quietly. "So do you still think all Westerguards are bad now?"

"What are you not telling me?" I asked. I saw her shoulder rose and fell in a heavy ragged sigh. She turned her head slightly to the right and placed the picture she'd been holding on the mattress. Frowning, I picked it up and looked at it.

I almost dropped the picture when I saw it. I thought my eyes had mistaken when I looked at it. It was the picture of Elsa and two other people. She was standing on the right, looking happier and more beautiful than ever, with her hair styled into a sophisticated bun, in a regal indigo dress, her rosy lips forming a perfect smile. Standing in the middle was a little girl about the age of five or six with Elsa's features and dark brown hair, green eyes; she reminded me about Emma since their hair and eyes had the same colour and the same innocent and carefree smile. The man next to her, however, how shockingly, was everything like me, only with different clothing and more regal hairstyle – raven hair, tanned skin and amber eyes. He was like… another me.

"That was my family," Elsa said. "That's my daughter, Crown Princess Alexandra of Arendelle, Alex for short. The man in the picture… he was my husband, James Westerguard, King Consort of Arendelle, the sixth prince of the Southern Isles, Jerome's twin brother. I've never told you my full name is Elsa Westerguard, have I?"

"No, I believe you haven't," I said quietly.

"I married to James six years ago, and in the same year we had Alex. I was happy, but it was only for a while," she replied.

"What happened?" I asked in a low voice.

Elsa sighed. "A year ago, when Hans's force took Arendelle, he captured all of us, only my uncle, Kristoff and Ander escaped. Anna had taken Alex with her to the North Mountain, and I stayed back in the castle to aid my husband. But eventually, everything we'd planned fell through. Hans chained us in the throne room, except for Anna because she was unconscious so they threw her into a cell. You don't know what he'd done. _You don't know!_" Elsa choked and broke into tears, her hand grasping a fistful of the mattress, causing ice to frost over it, another hand clutching her abdomen; her eyelids clenched shut and her head turned to a side as she brought her trembling hands to cover her sobs. "Do you want to know what that bastard did to the three of us?" she said between chokes. "Do you know what he did to _me_, Mathias?" Elsa asked, this time with a quieter voice. "He whipped me, struck me, poisoned me and raped me right in front of _my husband and my daughter!_ He made both me and my husband watch as those fire-slaves stabbed our daughter to death with the tips of their spears and watch her corpse being torn and trampled on by the beast of the dark sorcerer until she was nothing but pieces of meat discarded in pools of blood on the floor! We had to watch _our own flesh and blood _being killed. I had to plead Hans to spare her life. I had dropped on my knees, begging him to at least show his mercy toward his brother and his niece, if he didn't show mercy to me. I had begged him to do anything to me but spare James and Alex's lives. But did he even listen?

"_No!_ None of my words got into his ears. How could I be so foolish to expect him to spare his niece and sister-in-law? He let the sorcerer do terrible things to my family with satisfaction. And that was when Hayden took his Conduit Ring out and took away my husband's powers, and after that his life. I was forced to watch as my husband was killed in the slowest and most painful way, watching his power, energy and life being drained from his body," Elsa paused and sobbed into her hands. She wasn't able to continue after a few minutes. "I was to be the next one," she said, this time she seemed to be calmer. "My power was to be drained from my body like my husband, but I was lucky that the Conduit Ring couldn't take away my powers because I was pregnant. All I could remember was Anna screaming my name. When I woke up, I was already out of the palace and in the woods with my uncle. I told him what happened, and that was the first time in years I didn't show any hatred toward him. On the way back here, I had a miscarriage – I lost the last thing James had given me. I even didn't manage to keep our wedding ring. It had fallen from my finger while in the throne room. However, it was a mystery this picture and how the suit he wore the first time we met still remained.

"Now you know the truth. I had a husband and a daughter. The Princes of the Southern Isles are my brother-in-laws. I've been trying to keep this from you. I know you'd find out about this some day. I can't keep the truth from you forever," Elsa said. "You don't know how much agony I felt to see you," she whispered, tears started streaming down her eyes once again. "You two are identical, your features, your voice, even your powers are the same. It nearly tears my heart apart every time I see you. I've tried to conceal my feelings and swallowed my tears, my sorrow. I had to watch helplessly as the two people I loved most, more than anything in the world were killed right in front of my eyes. Now, every night, every single day, I'm still haunted by my daughter's scream for her mother and her father. Every of her screams was a blade piercing into my heart and tearing it apart. I had to watch my own flesh and blood being killed and torn into pieces in front of my eyes. She was only six, my little girl. She was only six! She didn't even know her uncle was nothing but an evil and ruthless monster. She didn't even know who he truly was. James and I didn't want her to know about Hans, so we kept the secret from her. You should have seen her eyes when Hans told her the truth that he was her uncle and we'd been lying to her all the times. You should have seen her eyes… You should have… Oh God, my little girl… My daughter," Elsa gulped. "She was killed right in front of my eyes… I carried her for the whole nine months, fed her with my breasts! I raised her, watched her grow up for six years. I taught her goodness and righteousness. I _loved_ her with all my heart… She was everything to me! My world turned into _nothing_ when she was dead. Why was she taken from me? Why were they taken from me? _Why?_ My daughter and her father – my husband, the man I loved most. Why was my family taken away so ruthlessly and relentlessly from me? _What did I do?_ What did I do to deserve this? What did my family do? James was a fair king! He was a good man who loved his family, his people and his kingdom! People loved him – _I loved him!_ Alex was only an innocent child! What could she have possibly done? _Why do you have to take all the ones I love away from me? _First you took my parents' life, then you almost took Anna's twice, you almost took mine! Why do you have to take away _my husband and my daughter_, too? What have _I_ done?" she cried out, the ice covering the room thickened and turned darker, the spikes growing longer and sharper in her agony and grief. Elsa screamed and accidentally released a blast of ice hitting the wall across the room. She brought her knees to her chest and buried her face into it, her hands covering her head, her shakes of her shoulder moved rythmically along with her sobs.

"_Why?_" she whispered. "_Please_, tell me why…"

I simply stood silent and watched as she grieved for her lost family. I didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do to comfort her and console her at the moment. None of my words could ease the pain she was suffering. None of my words could erase the painful memory embedded in her mind. None of my words was enough. I watched her repeating the question over and over again. I knew she wasn't asking me, she wasn't prying me for the answer she was seeking. She kept asking the ones that had taken her family – her husband and children – away from her, begging for the reason why, _only one reason_.

But the answer never came.

* * *

Elsa startled at the sound of a cracking branch and turned around. She felt a smile curling on her lips and a relieved sigh escaping her nose as she recognised the one approaching her.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," Anna replied and sat down beside her sister under the oak. She took a moment to scan the spectacular view of the place. "I haven't been here for a few years, not since you had Alex. Things haven't changed much here, right?"

Elsa's eyes gazed upon the two isolated mountains in the north-east and sighed, her cerulean orbs filling with a deep sadness.

(*) "The mountains still have their partner, but here I am, alone and solitary," Elsa whispered.

"Kristoff told me," Anna said quietly, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know you miss them. I miss them, too."

Elsa sighed heavily yet again. "I know," she whispered. "How- How have you been? I-I haven't seen you in almost a year. Did… did they do anything to you?"

"No," Anna shook her head. "Physically, I'm fine. I only look thinner and paler than when you last saw me because I didn't get to eat properly. But they haven't laid a finger on me. Mentally, I'm almost perfect. I got to reunite with my family."

"Nothing is perfect, isn't it? Even happiness," Elsa mumbled.

It was Anna's turn to sigh. "You know, I've been gone for more than a year now. I think there are a few gaps that need to be filled up. Can you tell me what's been going on?" she asked.

Elsa smiled to her sister and nodded, which caused a faint smile to tug at the corner of Anna's lips. The two of them sat there for hours and talked, filling up their lost times. They had been separated for too long. Anna was now back to her family, her people, but everything was new to her. Too many things had happened while she was gone. She couldn't imagine the pain and burdens her sister had been suffering for the whole year. She couldn't imagine the huge changes amongst her people. Everything was new to her, but she did not feel like a stranger coming to a strange land full of people she didn't know – she was only a beloved child who had gone far away from home and returned to the changes of her home and the warm greetings of her people. As she talked with her sister, the princess once again felt the precious feelings she had lost for a long time were now filling up the emptiness inside her. There was no more sorrow for her. She may face more in her path, but at the mean time, she didn't care. All she cared was that she was completely happy and blissful to be with the ones she loved again. Some may have gone, and she grieved for their death, but some still remained, and together, they would find what had been lost.

* * *

That night, the people celebrated for the return of their princess, dancing around the huge fire they had created which could have reached to the sky, their steps matching the joyful tune of music and the movements of the flame burning like a giant torch in the night. From where I was standing at the watch, I could see the whole village down there, everyone's eyes were lit up in the bright fire and the joy of their princess's return and their mouths formed a perfect happy smile. Some of the guards who were free from their duties joined the people in their celebrations. We – the ones who were standing at the watch – would stand and watch the people, and even joined them from up there. On this side, I could see Emma, Olaf, Sven, Ander and some other children dancing and laughing merrily with each other. Around the fire, I could see a large ring of people dancing in the rhythm of the drums and music. Some other people stood outside of the ring; they could be talking to each other, dancing or simply watching other people dancing. Anna and Kristoff were joining the people in the dance, and enjoying their company in each other's arm. Everyone looked happy tonight.

But only one person caught my eyes.

Elsa was dancing with her uncle. She looked completely different tonight. I usually saw her wearing clothes in brown or black, hair either tied into a bun or fell freely on her shoulder and back, and she always had some sort of weapons with her. But tonight, she looked like a new person with her hair braided in a single braid over her left shoulder, wearing a dress with blue sleeves, black bodice and indigo skirt. I often found her cerulean eyes gloomy, ice cold and full with a deep sorrow; but now, I could only see bliss and happiness shining in them. For the first time, I saw her smiling for real. And for the first time in forever, Elsa was truly happy.

I stared at her and watched as she parted with her uncle and stepped out of the dance floor, still wearing a broad smile on her face. I noticed her head turning slowly to the left and her eyes locked with mine, cerulean blue meeting amber. Seeing the shy smile tugged at her lips and her beauty, I felt something rising in me. But this time, there was no doubt in my mind. It was clear, obvious and true; there was no way to deny it. I didn't know the reason why, and I didn't need it, for that moment, I _knew_. I knew from that moment that there _was_ something growing between us. Perhaps we had turned into something more than friends.

_Perhaps_, I thought to myself, and again wondering if it would stop at this point or develop into something more.

_I guess only time can answer._

* * *

A/N: Are we done with this one yet? Yes? Oh, thank goodness. Guys, have you any idea that I've been waiting for this chapter since I started this story? It was agony to wait. So, how was it? Did you like it? So, the secret has finally been revealed. Now you know the truth. I've been leaving _a lot_ of hints throughout the previous chapters. You might have noticed one or two, or perhaps more than one or two. Did I make it too obvious? I suppose I did, because

_Marvelousgameofdisneythrones!_ How did you manage to get it right? Are you some sort of wizards? Did you read my mind? You figured out almost all of my schemes! I should be _extra_ careful in the future, or else the fun will be all spoiled.

_Jacob Flores_, does the end of this chapter answer your question?

And _Shebad_, was that descriptive enough? He looks exactly like James, so I think that was okay.

Well, that's it for now. I'd better shut up now because I have to finish the new chapter for my other story, _The Legacy of the Father_. If you're following and supporting this story, please do the same to the other one, would you?

I love you all.

Read & Review

Phuong

_(*) Based on a line in a Vietnamese poem named _A Poem of the Two Mountains_, verbatim in Vietnamese: _"Núi vẫn đôi mà anh mất em"_ – Bài thơ Núi Đôi, Vũ Cao. The poem is about a man and woman who fell in love with each other but separated by war. When peace was restored, the man returned to his home town and found that the woman was killed during the war. The quote was a description of his pain and grief about her death when he came to where they used to meet each other, seeing the to mountains still stood together side by side like husband and wife and feeling lonely because he had lost his soul mate. This is a beautiful romantic poem based off a true love story in Vietnam._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

* * *

A/N: Hey, look who's here! I'm back! Whoa, whoa, whoa, people, put your weapons down. Okay, before you kill me, let's think of it for a moment, okay? If I'm dead, who's going to continue this story for you guys? Do you want to know what's going to happen next? Yeah, that's right. Put your weapons down at instance! There. Isn't that much better? There's no need for violence here. I'm going to explain it all to you anyway.

Okay, first of all, I am terribly sorry for not updating anything in a whole month. But trust me, I've good reasons. And it is school. Yeah, I'm sure you can all understand now. So on to the second thing here. For all who haven't known yet, I've posted a new story of mine in October 21st. It's called _Tales of Arendelle_ and it's a side story to this story. Instructions are in the first chapter. If you want to read it and have a quiet moment between Mathias and… well, you'll have to read and see who this mysterious person is. I hope you like it, and leave a review, if you'd please.

Anyway, I think that since I owe you a chapter, and that's kind of why you came here for, so go ahead and read this one. I'm just going to sit back and wait.

* * *

I stopped writing and leaned back in my chair, glancing to my left at the dancing orange flame I had created in the fireplace, its blissful warmth filling up the whole room. I looked back down at the notebook on the table in front of me, the notebook Elsa gave me not long ago. I'd been using it to write down what I'd experienced while staying here in Arendelle, what I'd been through for the past few months, and I had to admit that the past time in this land, I enjoyed it. Though I still longed to return to where I came from, I'd found a new life here in Arendelle and got used to it, the idea of returning home hardly crossing my mind. Oh don't get me wrong. I still had my family in the future, my parents and my brother, and I'd missed them terribly. We had returned to the Rock Valley several times, but every time we came back without an answer. Had there been any way for me to return to my family, I would have, but apparently it wouldn't happen, or at least the chances were low. Grand Pabbie said he still hadn't found any solution to our problem. Since Emma and I couldn't go anywhere, we just had to count on him and at the mean time, we were still stuck here. But the idea of being stuck in Arendelle wasn't as horrible as it seemed at first. I had learnt to love this land as my second home, I'd met new friends and I liked them, loved them even, as another family of my own. My guard friends were like brothers to me. Roff didn't treat me ill as he did when we first met anymore. On the contrary, he'd become more than my captain and instructor. Kristoff had become one of my best friends, and Gerda was a lovely old woman. Ander, well, the little boy was adorable. And of course, Olaf, he was… well, he was the most special creature I'd ever seen, and perhaps the simplest and most genuine one ever.

About little Emma, she seemed to fit in better than I did. She was thirteen, yes, but acted as if she was an eight or ten year old, still as childish as she could be. After a month staying in this land, she didn't even bother to think about returning to the future anymore. She did love her father, but as her father only, for he hardly be by herside and her father, and the poor lass barely had any friends back then. I'd feared that she wouldn't be accepted here, but it would seem that I was wrong, and I'm glad I was. Everyone in the village loved her, children or grown-ups, men or women, boy or girl. She had become something very close to a big sister to Ander, a friend of Olaf and every child in the village. But the strangest, and probably the sweetest thing I'd ever seen, was to watch the relationship between her and Elsa developing every day, to watch them bonding. It warmed my heart to see the little girl's eyes lit up as she heard the name of a particular queen, and I thought it was the most adorable sight watching Elsa planting a goodnight kiss on Emma's head every night. In the past few months we stayed in Arendelle, I'd grown fonder of the young girl. I could say that she liked me, and I liked her very much. Every time I returned from my duties I would see that little slender figure rushing up to me and throwing her arms around my neck. Whenever I went to take my shift, she would hug me goodbye, and I could see the hint of sadness in her eyes.

The door slowly opened and a person walked into the room, the one whose presence somehow always managed to cause a smile touching my lips.

"Stay up writing again, Mathias?" she asked, a soft smile tugging at her lips, her hair shimmering like pure starlight and freshfallen snow in the firelight. I merely shrugged in response and she chuckled lightly, walking toward me.

"You seem to love writing a great deal," Elsa said, glancing at the notebook lying open in front of me with my writing scrawling on the pages.

"I am a writer, what can I say? Writing is pretty much my life, you know," I replied with a smirk.

"Same as ice is to Kristoff, I can see," she quirked an eyebrow. I snorted a laugh.

"How are you?" I asked, my eyes darting to her left shoulder, which was wounded quite badly. She came with the hunters last week and returned with a pretty wolfbite on her left shoulder. I had actually freaked out that morning when she came back.

"I'm alright," Elsa rolled her eyes. "Stop asking about it, Mathias. You know I'm fine now. You're not my brother, you do realise that?"

"I do, but I'd love to have a… _little_ sister," I teased. Elsa's nose scrunched lightly in annoyance. Her average height was one of the things we loved to make fun of, for she was a petite woman, merely reached my shoulder, and I wasn't one of the tallest amongst the guards.

"So, why are you up at this hour?" I asked.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, sitting down across the table. "What about you?"

"Same," I said, looking out the window and listened to the sound of the wind hissing in the cold air of the beginning of winter. "It looks like it's going to be a harsh winter here in Arendelle."

"Yeah," Elsa said quietly. "I've just come and check on the children, just to make sure they're alright."

"Oh? How is Emma?" I asked. The little girl didn't seem to be very well last night. She didn't come to dinner, claiming she wasn't hungry and was having a small headache. Elsa and I had come to check on her but she insisted she was alright and politely asked to be alone, so we left her.

"She's still sleeping. Aside from being a little cold, she seems fine. I pulled the blanket over her then came here. She'll be alright," she reassured, but I could feel the uncertainty and worriness within her voice.

"That's… good to hear," I said, trying to form a smile, but somehow I felt the tightness in my gut thinking about Emma. I couldn't help but feeling uneasiness increasing in me. Something didn't seem right, but thinking I was overreacting, I brushed the thoughts off.

"You and Emma… you two seem to be very close," I said, hoping to make it less awkward between us.

"She's a wonderful girl," Elsa said, a small smile crossing her lips, a glint sparkled in her eyes at the thoughts of the young girl. "I had feared that it would take a few years for her to finally fit in, but I'm happy I was wrong."

"I've known her for four years. She's genuine and carefree, but you'll be surprised to know that she didn't have many friends back in the future."

"Really? She has abundance of friends here. She seems to be very outgoing."

"I know. She's been quite shy and reserved. She wasn't as happy as she is now."

"Why?" Elsa asked, her brows creasing in curiosity.

"Well," I said, shifting in my seat and folding my arms against my chest, "she wasn't very happy. She was lonely. Her father loved her, but he was always busy and hardly with her. She had no company."

"What about her mother? Does she have any siblings?"

"No, she doesn't," I shook my head. "Her mother died giving birth to her. She never knew what it's like to have a mother."

"Oh… I know her mother passed away, but I never knew…" she trailed off.

"Emma never knew what it's like to have a mother, and you seem to have succeeded in showing it to her." Elsa's eyes went wide at my words and she immediately looked up at me, completely shocked.

I didn't know what had made me to say those words. I could have said something else. I could have changed the subject into something else. I shouldn't have continued. But somehow I couldn't stop myself.

Elsa sat still in silence in front of me, cerulean eyes widened and staring into nothing, her mind buried deep in thoughts. I knew my words had hit her hard, and tons of questions were swirling in her mind right now. I wisely kept my mouth close, letting her adjusting herself. For a moment I regretted saying it aloud, but I'm glad I'd said it to her right then, for it was probably the most perfect time to do so. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours we remained silent, and perhaps we would continue to be so had we not noticed the faint light of the day dusted on the grey winter sky.

Elsa bit her lip gently. "We still have about an hour or so before they wake up," she said, attempting to make it less awkward. "I-I'm thinking of going out for a walk a moment…" I raised an eyebrow at her, immediately on guard. She rolled her eyes. "I won't do anything stupid and reckless, if that's what you're worrying about." I sighed in relief and relaxed. Elsa chuckled lightly. "I really appreciate your concern toward me, Mathias, but please do stop treating me as if I'm a child."

"Oh I will, _Majesty_, unless you keep acting like one. An annoying one," I mumbled, and got a snowball at my face for that. I groaned and wiped the snow off my face and my hair. "Would you please stop doing that to me?" I grumbled, though I knew I earned it. But she really needed to find another way to payback every time I teased her. I hated having a snowball at my face, especially several every week, sometimes day.

"Oh I will, _Son of Fire_, unless you keep messing up with me," she replied with a playful smirk. I glared at her, my nose slightly scrunched. She knew better than anyone how much I hated that name.

"You look funny," she laughed. "Anyway," she hesitated, biting her lip, "I was thinking of going out for a morning walk, and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."

"Well, it sounds much better than sitting here and let you get yourself into trouble again," I said, tucking my notebook under my jacket. I rose from my seat and walked over to the coatrack on the door, throwing a coat over me, grabbing Elsa's cloak and handed it to her. I knew that would be enough for her, since the cold never bothered her anyway.

"Am I that troublesome?" she asked playfully.

"You're a burden for the guards," I said flatly.

"How so?" she crossed her arms.

"Do you have to ask?" I arched an eyebrow at her. She chuckled.

"Hey. I was thinking… It's been two weeks since I visited them, and I know they're all up at this hour, probably saving for some…" she hesitated.

"Oh no, don't even think about that!" I warned. "You know you can't even lift a sword with that wound on your shoulder. That's absolutely out of questions!"

"No!" Elsa rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about going there and engaging myself into some fights with my guards, not with my current state, I can't." She gestured to her injured shoulder. "I was only thinking that it's actually been a while since I gave them a _real_ talk between friends. I can't remember the last time we had it. Several months ago, a year, or perhaps before the war, I don't know. I just miss talking and joking with them, you know… like old times."

"Well, that sounds fair enough to me," I said, nodding in agreement. "The guys did say that they missed you. Don't tell them I told you that, or else they'll murder me for sure," I quickly added.

"I'll consider that," Elsa laughed. "So, there's a high chance they'll torment you with their jokes to death, Mathias. Do you still want to come?"

"And let you guys have all the fun? Not a chance. Besides, I haven't seen the guys so much lately, either."

"Oh? And what, or perhaps I should say who, could have possibly kept you so busy that you can't even hang out with your friends, Mathias?" Elsa asked with a mischievous grin.

"Oh, I suppose you would know a certain queen who seems to love getting herself into trouble," I replied, unable to keep the smirk from my face.

"Really, now?" she raised an eyebrow. "Then I bet she must be very patient to tolerate you." We both burst out laughing.

"Okay, we've had enough fun. Are we going to the barracks or not?" Elsa urged.

"Of course," I said, opening the door for her, "After you, Majesty."

* * *

There were only a few guards left in the barracks. Most of them were off to their duties, guarding at the watch and the walls or patrolling the village, whatever old grumpy Roff had sent them off to. There were only about thirty men in the barracks, already up and gathering in a ring in the sparing field, watching as two opponents fighting each other. They seemed to be really preoccupied with the fight that they didn't notice our presences. The two men entangling in the combat we immediately recognised as Colonel Casper Johannsen and Sergeant Ivar Berg, two of our best soldiers. Casper was my closest guard friend and had helped me a lot since the first day I joined the guards. The man was slightly taller than me, had raven hair and greyish blue eyes, his skin tanned from days of trainings. He was our best swordsman and Elsa's close frien as well. Ivar, well, he was our best archer. He and Elsa were really close friends, yes, but we hardly saw them saying anything nice without arguing or teasing each other with their sharp tongues and rapier wits. Ivar was good a head and a half taller than Casper, well-built form and arms like tree trunk, with chestnut brown hair, grey eyes and a scar from behind his ear down to his neck.

Elsa and I kept our presences unbeknownst to the guards and watched the combat from a certain distance. It wasn't until the fight came to an end and Casper managed to bring Ivar to the ground did we finally approach them. As I'd anticipated, the guards were delighted as they saw her, especially Casper, Ivar and an originally Coronan guard named Derek, who was about Elsa's age, had dark blonde hair and brown eyes.

"Look who's here!" Casper beamed brightly, looking as if he was about to envelop the woman into his embrace, "Our captain's favourite student and our beautiful queen! It's been way too long since you last graced us with your presence, Majesty! Here I thought you've forgotten about these humble guards of yours."

"Please, Casper," Elsa rolled her eyes playfully, arms folded against her chest. She'd never been one for exaggerations or flatteries; that I'd learnt. "It's only been two weeks since I last came."

"And to me it felt like forever," Casper said, placing a hand on his chest where it heart was dramatically.

"Don't mind him, Queen Elsa," a voice came, following by a familiar deep chuckle. "He's as bad as a stage actor."

"Ah! If it isn't our mighty friend Ivar," Elsa smirked, resting a hand on her hip. "I see that you've just been beaten by Colonel Johannsen here. I see your skills have remarkably improved since the last time we met."

Ivar chuckled. "So you've finally decided to show up after last time, Majesty? And I'd thought you wouldn't dare to face this guard of yours anymore."

"Really now, Sergeant?" she arched an eyebrow at the man who was at least eight or seven years older than her and completely looming over her. "I think I'm supposed to be the one saying that. If my memories served me correctly, I was the one to easily whop your ass. I'm surprised to see you still being able to find the courage to face me."

"I was merely going easy on you, Majesty." Ivar said with a grin, failing horribly in defending his damaged pride.

"Now, no one likes a sore loser, don't they?" Elsa teased.

Ivar chuckled, shaking his head. "Always manage to beat me with that sharp tongue of yours, Majesty? Please, give this poor servant of yours a break. You are truly more your uncle's niece than your father's daughter."

"Oh believe me, Ivar old friend. It's just something that runs in our bloodline. We Arnesens are all the same. Some are just better at hiding it."

"So," Derek, who had been silent from the beginning, said, "What brings you here to our barracks, Majesty? It indeed has been a while since you last came. I was hoping to see another fight between you and Casper."

"I can't believe you got the chance to bring her to the ground, Johannsen," Ivar said, a little jealous. "I swear some day I'm going to rid that smug grin off that pretty face of hers."

"We would _love_ to see you try, Ivar," I said with a snort. "You're a master with bows and crossbows, but we all know how terrible you are with blades."

"I agree," Casper said then turned to Elsa. "So, did you come for a training session with your uncle or to have some fun with us?" he asked with a mischievous grin, gripping the hilt of the sword strapped to his belt.

"Casper, normally, I would gladly accept your challenge, but not this time, my friend," Elsa said. "Trust me, I want to have a good fight with you guys, really, but with the wound on my shoulder right now, I can't even lift a sword. It's just that it's been two week since I last came so I guess I can come to check on you guys, to see how you're training."

I rolled my eyes. "Would it hurt to say you missed them?"

Elsa sighed and ran her right hand through her hair. "Fine!" she admitted. "I missed you guys, okay? I'm so used to seeing you guys almost every day of my life and I've missed you guys the last two weeks. Plus, when was the last time we sit back and talk, not talking while fighting?"

The other men glanced at each other. "Well," Derek sighed, "I hate to admit it, but we did miss you, too, Els. It's been dead boring without you here."

I smiled and chuckled lightly. All the months I'd stayed in Arendelle with them, that was the first sweet thing I'd heard coming from their mouths. "There," I said, "Wasn't that easy?"

"Oh shut up, Son of Fire, before I turn you into a frozen statue," Elsa grumbled.

"Elsa, we've been through this before. Your magic works everywhere on me save for my heart. And if it did, I doubt you would ever have the heart to do it," I smirked, and almost earned the second snowball to my head. Strings of laughter erupted from the men around us. Elsa's angered expression soon softened and she let out a small chuckle.

* * *

"I can't believe you actually did that to Haakon!" Elsa managed to say between laughs, clutching her stomach. "That was mean! I never thought you would do anything like that! I know Haakon was a little crossing the line, but that was harsh!" She brought a hand to her eyes and wiped her tears, still giggling.

I chuckle lightly, hands tucked into the pockets of my coat as we made our way back from the barracks. "I know," I smirked.

"That wasn't like you at all," she said.

"What makes you think so?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Honestly," she giggled, "Honestly, I never expected you to do anything like that, Mathias! Since when you first came to Arendelle, you've always been so… serious, save for when you're with Emma and I, or maybe Kristoff sometimes. I don't take you as the mischievous one. Casper always complained to me about you being so boring and all – no offense. But when you told me what you did to poor little Haakon… oh God, are you serious? You actually burnt _his hair_?"

"I almost came to send a fireball to his ass."

"You're horrible," she pushed me lightly.

I smiled at her. We had stayed and talked with the other guards for about an hour before I managed to drag Elsa out of the conversation as I realised we were terribly late for breakfast and three women at home wouldn't leave us alone with that. Casper, Derek and the others had tried to convince us to stay a little longer – Ivar didn't say it but I could see it in his eyes – but Elsa and I knew the consequences if we didn't return to breakfast. "Sometimes I wonder who's the one in charge here," Elsa had said that once when we came back late for dinner to meet an angry Gerda and upset Anna. To be honest, I didn't like to go as much as she did at the moment, and wished that we could stay a little longer. But I was glad that she had fun. I couldn't help but smile seeing her talking, joking and laughing with her friends. Perhaps we should do it more often. She had been really stressed lately. Now that Anna had returned, there was no reason for her to hesitate to strike. The people of Arendelle shall rise and reclaim what had been theirs. At the end of this winter, we would make our first move.

"You know," she said, the smile never leaving her lips, "I still can't believe you would actually do that to someone. You always seem very serious. But then again, one should not judge a book by its cover. This… this is like a whole new you… I've never seen you being so relaxed and enjoying yourself like that."

"Yes. Thanks anyway. It was your idea, after all, or else I wouldn't have gone there. It was good to have a laugh with some friends. Maybe I needed that. It's been quite stressed for all of us lately."

"Yeah, it has," Elsa said, her expression turning serious again.

"Hey," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It's going to be alright. You have us with you, Elsa, always. _I'm_ with you."

The corners of her lips rose slightly. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, revealing the cerulean orbs full with worries and cares. "I've sent for help to Corona and to the Southern Isles, to Henry," she said.

"Any reply?" I asked.

"They've all agreed to aid us. My cousins in Corona are more than willing to help and Henry and the brothers have been waiting for this day as well. Hans and Alfonse were the only ones who wanted the land of Arendelle. With their help, I think we'll be able to take back our kingdom."

"That's good news, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Elsa nodded. I frowned upon noticing the sad tone in her voice.

"Something is troubling you?" I asked. She sighed.

"Hans and Alfonse are not hard to deal with, but…" she trailed off.

"You're worrying… about the sorcerer, aren't you?" I said. Elsa nodded and wrapped her arms around her waist tightly, fear written in her eyes, the mention of his name sending a chill down her spine.

"I could never forget it," she whispered and stopped walking, tears forming in her eyes. "He was so powerful. I've seen the powers of the amulet and the ring. That day, the storm raged in the sky of Arendelle, keeping all the ships coming to aid from Corona far away from our land and destroying more than half of the capital city. The ring had taken thousands of lives, my husband included. It would have taken more lives, even mine, had Kristoff not managed to retreat our force, or what was left of it, here, and had I not been able to take it from the hand of the sorcerer and kept it here with me. I didn't manage to get the scepter, though. It holds the most powerful power of all. But I was surprised not to see Hayden using it at all.

"I'm terrified, Mathias. What if we have more to lose than to gain? I had had to watch countless men falling hopelessly last time. I know this time can be different, because I'm able to use my powers now. But I know we cannot avoid death in wars. During the times we stay here, I've grown much closer to my people, especially the guards. How am I going to stand it knowing some of them will undoubtedly die in this war? They're not my guards anymore. They are my friends and my family… my brothers!"

I looked at her, lips pressed into a thin line. I didn't know what I was thinking, or whether I was thinking at all. But that moment, I couldn't stand watching her like this any longer. I'd had enough and wouldn't hear of it anymore. The woman needed someone to comfort her and I was the only person with her at that time.

I grabbed her hand and held it tight in mine. Elsa looked up at me in shock, but to my surprise she didn't pull away. I looked into her eyes, my expression stern and serious, but also soft and gentle. "I know you're scared, Elsa. We all are," I said, wrapping my other hand around hers. "For the past few months, I've learnt to love this land and its people. The guards are friends and brothers to me as well. I owe them so much. And it pains me to think there is no way to prevent it, either. Soldiers die in every war, Elsa. But they are willing to because they know their sacrifices aren't for nothing. We have many to lose, but also much to gain. You don't have to be afraid, Elsa. We're always here with you… I'm here with you."

Elsa stared at me with surprise. There were doubt and hesitance in those cerulean orbs for a brief moment. I understood her silent question and tightened my hold on her hands to confirm her that she would always have my help, no matter what. Her fear and worries were soon replaced by a grateful smile and a loving look for a friend. I felt her placing her other hand upon mine, her comfortably cold slender fingers wrapping around mine. She gave me a slight nod.

"Thank you," she said in a quiet voice. I smiled in return.

"Everything for my stubborn, fearless friend," I replied with a faint smirk. Unable to stop myself, I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. When I pulled away, I could see her face colouring and her eyes widening in shock.

"My thanks," Elsa mumbled and gently slid her hands away from mine.

"You're welcome," I nodded, and we proceeded to head back. We walked in silence. Though I didn't glance to the side at her, I was pretty sure her face was as flushed as mine was.

When we reached home, I was a little surprised not seeing an anxious or eager Emma awaiting for us at the front door and rushing toward us as usual. Elsa found it quite strange, too, and we glanced at each other confusingly, but brushed it off as we thought they were probably having breakfast. But then again, Emma always waited for us. Something didn't feel right. When we pushed the door open and stepped in, we weren't greeted with an angry Gerda, an upset Anna or warm welcomes from Kristoff, Ander, Olaf and Emma. Instead, the one to come to us was Elizabeth, the daughter of the healer, and she never looked so frightened.

"Beth, is there something wrong? What's going on?" I asked, my brows creasing into a frown.

"It…" she swallowed hard, "It's Emma…"

My eyes widened. I glanced at Elsa to see she was as much shocked as I was.

"What happened to her?" she demanded, taking a step forward.

* * *

"She hasn't woken up at all," Anna said sadly. I watched as Elsa kneeled beside Emma's bed, clutching the little girl's cold little hand in hers, trying her best to contain her tears, feeling my own tears welling in my eyes as well. Emma lay motionless in the bed, sweat dripping on her skin, her face was pale and her whole body was shaking, ice cold. "We came when she didn't answer when Gerda called for breakfast, and found her in the bed, ice cold. We tried to wake her but she wouldn't, so we told Ander to fetch Susan and Beth here."

"It's a very strange disease which unfortunately I am not familiar with," Susan replied. "Miss Jones is ice cold, and she keeps sweating. Her pulse is very weak. I've no idea what has caused this."

"Is there anything you can do?" Elsa asked in quiet voice, her eyes still glued on Emma's pale haggard face on the pillow, the girl's breathing becoming shallow.

Susan shook her head grievously. "I'm sorry, Majesty. I'm afraid not." Elsa nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek as she brushed a chocolate lock from the young girl's sweat-dripping forehead.

"Mama," Ander said quietly, "Is Emma gonna be alright?"

"Yes… yes, of course, sweetie," Anna said hesitantly. "Go with Gerda and Olaf, Andy. Papa and I will be out in a moment." The boy nodded then followed the elder woman and the snowman out of the room.

"Oh, Elsa, I'm so sorry," Anna said, approaching her sister.

"Can you three give us a moment alone?" Elsa said with a quivering voice, not glancing back. Kristoff and the three other women, Anna, Susan and Beth, glanced at each other than quietly exited the room, leaving us in the room.

"Elsa…" I said quietly, kneeling beside her and placing my hand on her shoulder. She suddenly broke into quiet sobs and buried her face in my chest, clinging on my as streams of tears rolled down her cheeks. I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back gently, my vision suddenly went blurry and I realised my eyes were filled with water.

"Oh God, Mathias… Emma... she…" Elsa managed between her sobs, pulling away from my embrace and looked at Emma. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know, Elsa. I don't know," I said, my voice shaking. "Susan said she couldn't cure her. No one knows what happened to her or how to cure her."

"There has to be some way…" Elsa halted, tears suddenly stopped running down her face as her brows creased into a frown and her expression turned serious.

The door suddenly burst open and Roff came in in a hurry.

"I heard about little Emma. Did something happen to her? Beth told me she's not well," he said. He, too, was very fond of the girl that she was something very close to his granddaughter.

"It's a very strange disease. She's been like this for a while, according to Anna," I replied, standing up and face him.

"Can Susan to anything about it?"

"I'm afraid not. No one is familiar with this."

"There's no hope?"

"No!" we heard Elsa snapping. She rose from where she was kneeling. "There's still hope. I know someone who can help us."

"Oh, no, Elsa," Roff shook his head. "You're not considering going there _at this time_, aren't you? At least give it a second thought, Elsa. It's too dangerous. Hans' men are everywhere. And you're wounded…"

"I don't care!" she snapped angrily. "I don't care if it's dangerous or not. I don't care if I'm wounded. I've been through worst before, you know it! I've survived worst! I don't care if Hans' men are everywhere. I'm going to take them down easily. Emma's life is in danger and I need to save her!"

"Elsa, let's remember that you're the queen. If something happens to you…"

"Nothing will happen to me! Look," she snarled. "You'd better not waste your time convincing me not to go, because it won't work. I _am_ taking the girl to the goddamn trolls and ask them to heal her."

"Why are you so determined on risking your life to save the girl, Elsa?"

"Because I love her!" she shouted. My eyes snapped wide and I stared at her, shocked. "I love her," she continued, her voice softer this time. "She's become more than a friend to me. I love her, not as a friend, a sister, but a daughter! She reminds me… she reminds me of _her_ – of Alex. I love her, Uncle. And she loves me… No child has ever loved me like that ever since Alex. I can't stand watching her life being put in danger. I'm not letting this happen again! I was forced to watch my daughter being killed in front of my own eyes a year ago, and I couldn't protect her just because I was powerless. I am not making the same mistake again… Please…" she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Her life is in grave danger. I can't… I can't stand this. Please, let me save her. I have to take her to the trolls. I'm not letting her go…"

Roff stared at her, as much shocked as I was. He was about to say something but decided against it and let out a heavy sigh. "Just…" he said, "Be careful."

Elsa sighed in relief. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I'll tell Kristoff and Anna they're in charge while you're gone. But promise me you'll be back, Elsa. You have a kingdom to take back," he said.

"Promise," Elsa said firmly. Roff nodded then exited the room.

Once we were left alone again, I began, "Elsa…" She turned around and I was met by a pair of cold and furious eyes again.

"Don't try to stop me, Mathias," she snarled, her fingertips glowing blue with powers. "I'm going to save her and that's the end of it!" She turned around and attempted to head out of the room, but I caught her by the hand.

"Goddamn it, Mathias, I told you! I'm going-"

"And I'll come with you!" I said firmly. "That's the end of it." She stared at me in surprise. "You say you love Emma, but you don't know I love her, too," I continued, my voice softening and eyes full with tears. "She's been more than a friend to me. She's become my family, and I'm not going to watch someone I love dying without at least trying to do something! I love her, Elsa, and I'm coming with you to save her."

Elsa was quite shocked at my admission at first, but then she nodded, her eyes full with determination. "Then let us head to the Rock Valley."

* * *

I walked into the stable, cradling Emma's small frame in my arms. We had carefully wrapped her in a blanket to keep her warm, but through the layer of wool, I could still feel her cold and shivering, her breathing shallow. I held the young girl close to my chest, feeling the tightness in my gut as I feared for her fate, at the same time full of hope that the trolls would be able to heal her.

Elsa was already waiting for us in the stable, her black cloak draping over her body, her platinum hair carefully braided. Her horse was saddled and was ready to go. A mixture of worries, anxiety and fear was written on her face. As I silently came toward her, she held out her arms and gently took Emma from me, holding the girl close to her. No word was spoken between us, our eyes refused to meet each other, but we both know what the other was thinking.

I mounted the stallion then helped Elsa to get on behind me. Just as we were about to depart, Anna came in.

"Here's some food for you guys," she said, handing Elsa the carefully wrapped up bundle she'd been holding.

"Thank you," Elsa nodded.

"Well, it would seem there's no way to change you two's minds now, for Uncle has already failed on the attempt," Anna said with a sigh. "I wish you'd let me come with you this time, or at least let Kristoff come."

"You two have many things to take care of," I said. "I'll watch over your sister and bring her back to you, Princess Anna."

"I know you will, Mathias," Anna smiled a little. "Good luck. And be careful… both of you. Promise me you'll return. You have a kingdom to take back."

"We will," Elsa said

* * *

The horse galloped through the forest at full speed. We had not stopped for a single second, despite our stomachs were growling in hunger, since we hadn't eaten a crumb the whole day, but we hardly noticed it. The only thing that mattered was the girl with chocolate brown hair draped across Elsa's lap behind me. I felt her clutching Emma close to her chest, trying to hold back her tears, while I did my best to focus on where we were going. The forest was dark, much darker than I remembered. It was winter, of course. The wind was howling in our ears and snapping against our clothes. Elsa kept Emma's body close to her, shielding the girl from the bitter coldness of the winter's wind.

By the time we reached our destination, night had descended upon the land of Arendelle. Elsa and I dismounted our horse and left it outside before entering the area where the trolls resided with me carrying Emma.

"Grand Pabbie! Everyone! Please, wake up! _Vi trenger din hjelp!_" Elsa shrilled, her quivering voice tearing the silence of the air around us. I looked around to see the rocks lying clustered on the ground slightly moving then rolled toward us, turning into the trolls.

"It's the queen," they said, "And the fire wielder."

"Queen Elsa," the female troll whom I recognised as Kristoff's adoptive mother greeted. She paused for a moment, eyes darting toward me. "What brings you and your fire wielder friend here? Is there something wrong?"

"Bulda," Elsa said, her voice shaking, "Please, I need Grand Pabbie. Where is Grand Pabbie?"

"I'm here," an old troll stepped out. "What can I do for you, Majesty? It seems to be an urgent matter."

"It's about Emma… a friend of mine," Elsa replied. "Please, save her. She suddenly fell ill. The healer couldn't do anything. It's not anything we've seen before. She hasn't woken since last night. She keeps sweating and her body is ice cold. Her breathing is shallow."

"Here, bring her to me," the old troll gestured. I knelt down and lowered Emma's body a bit to the troll's level, feeling my heart racing in my chest. He placed a hand on her forehead and closed his eyes. Elsa knelt down beside me and gripped my shoulder tightly, holding her breath nervously. Finally, after a moment, the old troll removed his hand from Emma's head and let out a small exhale.

"Can you heal her?" I asked. "Please… she means a lot to me… to both of us," I said, glancing at Elsa.

"Yes, I can," he nodded. Elsa let out the breath she'd been holding and I sighed in relief.

"But," Grand Pabbie continued. Elsa and I looked up to see the grievousness in his eyes. "I'm afraid," he said hesitantly, "that I don't have the most important ingredient for her cure."

"Do you know where it is?" I asked.

"Please, tell us where we can find it," Elsa begged.

The old troll stared at us with narrowed eyes for a moment then exhaled a sigh. "Majesty, do you remember the strange flower your mother brought to Arendelle with her from Corona? The one with thorns pure as snow that always flourishes, even in the harshest time of winter?" he asked. Elsa nodded. "Your little friend's disease is a very strange one, and a very dangerous one. It was very wise of you two to bring her here. I doubt any Arendellian would be familiar with it. The victim of this disease only has three days before it kills them. This young girl only has two days left. If we don't have the main ingredient before that, I'm afraid…" he trailed off.

"What?" Elsa and I both said in unison, eyes wide in horror. I looked back down at the girl in my arms and suddenly felt as if someone had jabbed a knife into my heart. She only had two days left?

"Two days," Elsa mumbled. "That should be enough. We'll be able to make it here before the deadline."

"Queen Elsa!" Cliff, Bulda's husband, gasped. "You don't mean…"

"Yes, I do, and I will," Elsa said firmly and rose to her feet. "Bulda, take Emma, and look after her. Can I trust you with it?"

"Y-yes, of course, Majesty," Bulda stammered, taking the girl from my arms.

"Elsa, what do you have in mind?" I asked, standing to face her.

"We're going to get the main ingredient, to get that flower," she replied.

"Majesty," Grand Pabbie said, panicked, "You can't go there! This is suicide!"

"I will not stand and watch the girl die, Pabbie," Elsa hissed. "I was forced to watch my daughter killed right in front of me once. I'm not letting history repeating itself. Come on, Mathias. There's no time to waste." She said, turning on her heels. I frowned in confusion and jogged to catch up with her.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I've already told you."

"No, that came out wrong. Where is this flower we're getting?"

Elsa hesitated for a moment. "The only place in the kingdom that has the flower," she said, "is the Castle of Arendelle."

* * *

A/N: Well, what do you know? Pabbie was right. This is suicide, indeed. What? Oh don't give me that look, would you? You're expecting to have a chapter without thrills, a break? Guys, we've already had a month break; that would be enough for you guys to cool down after the events of the last chapter. And we have to stick to the main events of the story, so yeah.

So, is there anyone kind enough to leave a review? Feel free to speak your own opinion about my story, guys.

Anyway, I was kind of a little rushed on this chapter, so please forgive me for any grammar or spelling mistake I might have made.

Well, I'm off to bed. I still have to go to school tomorrow (School on Saturday, how wonderful!). Goodnight or good day.

(To _Colonelcas44_: I know I've said this before, but please don't kill me if I offended or upset you in anyway. I still have my stories to continue.)


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